


How a Maid Can Be Dangerous

by Sylvano



Category: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-17
Updated: 2013-07-17
Packaged: 2017-12-20 11:59:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/887012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvano/pseuds/Sylvano
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For weeks, Pipit's mom, Mallara, has been paying someone to clean the house so she would not need to do it herself. For all this time, Pipit has always been wondering who could be doing this... Until he catches Link red-handed.</p><p>Inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's storyline</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Link! That was you!?”

“Wait, Pipit, I can explain...!”

“There's no need for that. I fully understand the situation already. And I thought you  
were off suspicion... How stupid of me!”

“Wait, Pipit! Wait!"

And that's how it ended for them both. Obviously, Link had known for the longest time he should stop doing it. He knew Pipit would find about it one day or another if he'd keep on being his friend mother's maid. He was working so hard to get all that money, doing all these night shifts added to his usual other duties. They were already low on money, so they really didn't have the means to hire a maid. What's more, for Pipit, the cleaning of the house was his mother's duty. She was the one supposed to do it. The thing is, she never felt like it. She didn't fit the usual picture of the mother. Link was almost sure  
she didn't even know how make food for herself.

On that day, he looked around all Skyloft but wasn't able to find Pipit. But no matter how hard he checked, the freckle faced knight wasn't to be found anywhere. Nobody had seen him, either at the bazaar, the academy or around his house. He probably was off on another island, but even knowing that, Link couldn't do much. Sunset was about to get on and his Loftwing was unable to fly at night. The green-clothed knight clenched his fists, looking at the empty darkening sky, the city behind him getting ready for the night and the light tower on his left. He hated leaving something unsettled, but he had to go to bed now, he was leaving again to Eldin tomorrow. He couldn't delay his departure by any day; Zelda's life was at hand.

He turned around, angry, and began to walk to the Academy, letting out an annoyed growl. When he arrived at the bottom of the stairway leading to it, he gave a last glance at his left, but only sky and clouds answered his eyes. He wrinkled his nose in annoyance and gave a side punch to the column by him, making it shake a bit. He sighed deeply and got up the stairs, walking slowly to his bedroom, of which he made sure to lock the door before going directly to his bed. He put his weapons on its side and jumped on it. He stared at the roof, waiting for Morpheus to take him away. However, he wasn't able to sleep until very late that night, when the Academy had been silent for hours and he was sure Pipit would not do his rounds that night.

***************

When he woke up at dawn the following morning, he still felt tired. He had only slept for a tiny bit of a very light sleep. In fact, he felt as tired as the day before. At first, he didn't understand why he felt so miserable. Then, slowly, his memory crept its way back into his head, reminding him of the precedent evening. Link winced. That was so annoying he had to leave the situation the way it was. He slowly sat on his bed, his legs on the floor. The warrior passed a hand on his face. He needed to find a way to pave his way to Pipit's forgiveness for when he'd get back home. If he did not, he would stay focused on that problem, and that could prove highly dangerous in the volcano land and the Silent Realm he would have to face there. If this Realm had to be as hard as Faron Woods' or Lanayru Desert's ones, he was better to found a way to get Pipit off his head while doing that one.

Link looked at his desk and had an idea. It would not completely solve his problem, but at least it was a step to it. He jumped up on his feet and went to sit on the chair in front of his desk. There, he looked a bit around its surface to find a piece of paper and something to write on it. He found the paper but couldn't seem to get his hands on a pen or pencil that actually worked. So, he got on his feet to fetch one in his closet before getting back to his desk. There, he began to write a letter to Pipit.

It was short and of concise words, but it still gave away how Link felt and what he wanted to say. He was giving Pipit a rendezvous when Link would get back on Skyloft to sort things out. The blond adventurer worked a bit on it for a moment, changing a phrasing here and a word there until he was mostly satisfied of it. This done, he folded the piece of paper, wrote 'Pipit' on it and placed it aside while he was attaching his sword and shield to his back. He then reached out for the paper and left his room.

***************

Link walked slowly out of the Academy and to Pipit's house. Strangely enough, his heart was racing real hard. No matter how much he tried to calm it and slow its beating, it kept on running as fast as if he was fighting one of those Silent Realms again. He could feel adrenaline enough to keep him up fighting for days move through his blood vessels, keeping him so alert it was painful.

By the time he actually reached Pipit's house, he was not sure he wanted to knock at that door and take the chance of ending up face to face with a still angry Pipit. For a reason he could not get his hands on, that possibility stressed him so much he was getting out of breath at the mere thought of it. So, he stayed there, in front of the freckle faced knight's door, his determination wavering back and forth, unable to make a move towards or away from that fatal door. The letter in his hand felt as heavy as a ton of iron. Giving that piece of paper away seemed so stupid to him now...

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear a light step moving to him behind his back. A feminine voice asked, slightly worried:

"Link? What are you doing here?"

The called man closed his eyes, sighing. He felt somewhat annoyed but at the same time extremely relieved. He turned around and opened his cyan deep eyes, trying to look happy. In front of him, Pipit's mother was standing, a basket full of diverse supplies for the house, mainly food. By looking at it, it was obvious all the food in there had been bought on sale. It looked a bit ragged and old, at the limit of turning bad. Link hid it, but at the sight of the basket's content, his heart tightened and a hint of guilt ran through him. He knew part of that woman's need to buy food on sale was his fault. Nothing of that he said and showed, though, and smiled as plausibly he could.

"Oh, hi. It's great I can see you."

Pipit's mother put the hand not holding her basket on her waist. She smiled back at Link, a bit of question in her expression.

"What are you talking about? You saw me yesterday."

The green-clothed knight scratched the back of his head with his empty hand in discomfort.

"Well, I know that. But I had something to ask you."

The woman lifted an eyebrow, all her attention focused on the young man in front of her.

"What may it be?"

Link showed the paper he was holding to the woman in front of him.

"Could you give this to Pipit?"

Pipit's mother cocked her head to the side, pointing to the door behind the adventurer.

"He's here right now. You can give it to him yourself if you want."

Link shook his head negatively once.

"I'd prefer not. Please... And, also...”

“What is it?”

“I won't get back to do your housework. I already knew before Pipit caught me that I shouldn't be doing it, but now it's official. I'll stop. You both need this money way more than I do."

Pipit's mother seemed a bit annoyed and despaired at the thought of having to clean up by herself.

"Are you sure? You are of so much help."

Link nodded.

"Yes, I am."

The woman sighed softly.

"Alright, then. Give the letter here; I will transmit it to Pipit.”

“Thanks."

Link handed the letter over to Pipit's mother and walked away to the nearest dock, thanking the woman again. Pipit's mother opened the door to her house. The freckle faced knight welcomed his mom from the sink, where he was washing the dishes.

"Hi, mom! Any problem at the Bazaar?”

“No, everything was alright."

But even though his mother was saying that, it was obvious to Pipit that his mother looked really down. He stared at her while she walked to the table and put all she was holding on it, before she dropped herself on one of the seats around it. She faced the table and put her head in her hands, sighing deeply. Pipit asked, a bit worried:

"Is everything OK?"

His mother gave him a glance before staring at empty air. She sighed again.

"I'll have to do the cleaning..."

Her voice was full of heavy boredom. Pipit looked at her, interrogative.

"What do you mean?”

“Link said he won't be coming back to do it."

She looked at her son in slight annoyance.

"I hope you're happy now."

Pipit was a tad confused. Could it have been so easy? He had a hard time believing it.

"What did he say?"

Pipit's mother waved a hand while keeping her gaze on the dust roaming around in a light ray.

"Something about the money we needed more than him."

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something she had forgotten about a minute ago and stretched out to catch something on the table. Then, she turned to Pipit to show him what she was holding in her hand, almost triumphant. It was a very simple piece of paper, the same kind they used to write down their shopping list, and of no bigger size than the palm of a hand. It seemed quite thick, though, and intrigued the knight.

"He also asked me to give you this. I told him he could give it to you now himself, since you were there right now, but he seemed reluctant. So I agreed to give it to you for him."

'A letter?' thought Pipit. That was strange. It was not Link's usual way of behaving. He would usually go straight to the point and hardly ever beat around the bush. Then, he fully realized his mother's statement.

"He was there?”

“Yes. I found him in front of the door, staring at the handle. "

Pipit's mother shrugged.

"It's as if he didn't know what to do?"

Pipit wiped his hands dry on his pants and asked:

"Do you know where he was headed?"

His mother thought for a second, a finger tapping on the side of her chin.

"I'm not sure..."

Then she pointed her finger up by her head in victory.

"But I do remember hearing the potion merchant self-congratulant of how many potions she had been able to sell to Link yesterday. And the other merchant in front of him agreed, telling he had sold a big amount of arrows to him too."

She looked at her son.

"Does it help you?"

Pipit, though, already had stopped listening to his mother. He knew what it meant. That guy only bought such furniture when he was about to leave for The Surface. He took two steps forward, wrested the letter from his mother's hands and ran to the door, slamming it open and sprinting to his left as fast he could. He was in such a hurry he even forgot to close it. His mother stared at the opening, blinking, all the most surprised by her son's reaction.

Pipit ran to the nearest air dock and stopped there, panting. He looked at the sky but no sign of Link's Loftwing was to be seen. He turned around before having even had the time to catch his breath and ran to the Academy in a high hurry. When he was there, he breezed about it, almost bumping in everybody that got in his way. He was feeling dizzy from running too much, but he didn't stop. He knew he had to find Link fast or he would miss him. After that, the Goddess only knew how much time it'd take before he'd see him again.  
Not finding Link at the Academy either, he decided to head for the Goddess' statue. He knew the blond adventurer sometimes went there to stare at Her statue and pray Her to give him luck and courage. When he reached the bottom of the stairs to it, though, he had to stop. He felt so near to throwing up it was unbelievable. He bowed down and reached for his knees. Doing this, he felt a paper shrinking in the palm of his hand. It was Link's letter, of which he had forgotten up to the very existence a moment ago. Seeing it, he smoothed it a bit and put it under his belt not to lose it. Then, he got back straight up, took some slow deep breaths to wave away the dizziness and got at moving again.

He got up the stairs four by four. Up on the Goddess' statue's ground, he jogged to its bottom. He gave a look around, hoping to see Link somewhere, anywhere. But again, he was too late and the green-clothed knight was nowhere to be seen. Pipit clutched his fists and closed his eyes with deep anger.

After a moment in that stance, he opened his emerald eyes back and walked slowly to the dock behind the statue. He was so annoyed he hardly held back a cry of anger. Link had been so close... a door away. Now he would have to wait for weeks, if not months, before being able to sort things out with him. He gazed at the clouds, following their slow movement around that strange red light beam that had appeared some months ago, leading to The Surface. Without having to look behind him, he knew that up south were two others, a yellow-brown one on the west side and a green one more to the east. Staring at the one in front of him, he wondered, as he did sometimes, what might The Surface be looking like. Was it beautiful and full of hidden wonders, or, as the legends let out, a dark and dangerous place full of monster each uglier and more dangerous than all others.

He was still staring at the beam when he saw a faint movement by it. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see more, suddenly stirred out of his thinking. For a long moment, he saw nothing more than the blue sky and the lazy white clouds moving around the ray of light, as if somehow attracted to it for some unknown weird reason. Pipit was about to think he had daydreamt when it happened again. This time, he had just the time to see what it was.  
He hadn't seen it before, since it was of the same color than the beam, but no error was possible. That movement had been the doing of Link's Loftwing flying to the beam. Without a moment's thought, Pipit ran back to his house, despite his intense weariness and his still remaining bits of dizziness. Once there, his mother was still staring at the door, unsure of what to do. When she saw her son getting back inside the house, she asked:

"Where have you been?"

But Pipit ignored the question and headed directly to his bedroom in the corner of the house. He took his sword, placed it on his back and buckled it. Then, he got on all four and stretched out a hand under his bed. He grabbed something there and got his rupees bag out. He opened it and fetched a blue and a red gems before closing it back and attaching it to his belt. He shot both rocks to his mother, who barely caught them by the tip of her fingers.

"I'm going, mom.”

“Where to?”

“I need to talk to Link. I'll try to catch up with him before he gets to the surface."

Pipit's mother got very worried at these words. She could sense - almost see - her son was not in his usual mood. The fact he had taken his money and sword were already proof enough. Maybe he hadn't understood it himself, but it was clear that, if he was too late to catch up with his friend before he was under the clouds, he would follow him down there. She frowned in worry.

"Be careful.”

“Of course, mom. I'll be back soon."

He then left to the docks on the southwest of Skyloft. He ran all the distance and sprinted once on the wood surface. He jumped unhesitantly and whistled to call his Loftwing. It arrived right away, catching its master on its back. It gave out a welcome cry. Pipit patted its head before focusing back on what he was doing. Both the bird and the man flew to the red beam, getting up and down and sprinting to go as fast as possible. 

It only took a minute or two before getting meters away from it. But it was already too late, for Pipit saw Link jump off his Loftwing right over the hole opened in the clouds. It was only a moving green spot, but to Pipit, it was unmistakable. Seeing that, he made his Loftwing do a last dive towards the beam. When he was right over it, he jumped after his fellow knight.  
en he was right over it, he jumped after his fellow knight.


	2. Chapter 2

Pipit got through the clouds. Once that passed, under him appeared Eldin's Volcano. He could see the flaring mountain and the dry lands surrounding it, each piece of it separated by a red devilishly glowing liquid that seemed as thick as glue. All that, Pipit understood in a second. Something else he realized in that same second was his distance from the ground. He was so far from the field under him it seemed as if it was a gigantic map placed all around him. Alarmed by how fast he was falling, he looked around.  
Around his left leg's area, he saw an almost dead tree. That was the only one standing around. In the same way, it was his only possibility of survival. He instinctively kept his arms and legs as stretched out as possible and moved on the side to try to land in its branches.

Working hard to move in the air, he barely was able to achieve his goal. The landing was harder than the knight would have liked it to be, Pipit breaking through a lot of the weak tree's branches before finally ending up between two solid enough ones with a heavy thud. Pipit growled of pain in answer to that treatment. Feeling pain run through each and every one of his limbs, he stayed sprawled out a moment, trying to recover his senses. His back was aching like hell where it had bumped unto the two branches that were holding him above the still ten-meters-away ground under him.

He was trying to think of a way to get down there when the sound of some rubble being moved about was heard at the bottom of his tree. He looked that way, careful not to fall because of this move. At first, the freckle face didn't see anything. Then, what he thought to be a rock shook and turned around, revealing a creature he had never seen before that stood in front of him. Or at least, that's what he thought before he realized the bottom half of the thing was in fact buried under the surface of the ground. It had long and large black claws at the end of each of its heavily muscled arms. It was all covered of grey fur, except for something that could be guessed as being a mini Mohawk and a goatee, added to a line of the same color around its nonchalant but still very alert eyes. Long rigid ears were to be seen on each side of its head, as long as its seemingly never-ending muzzle enthroned by a red-brown snout. The only piece of clothing it wore were suspenders holding nothing more than themselves. 

As Pipit detailed it, the creature looked around, sniffing and sneezing. It scratched its head and looked up. There, it saw Pipit, awkwardly placed between two branches, all sprawled out. It screeched and retreated under the surface. Pipit didn't make a move and stared at the now empty spot, not sure of what he was supposed to do. He didn't need to wait too long before the thing's nose, then head, got out of the ground again. It gave a quick look around before retreating again. While waiting for the creature to make another appearance, Pipit moved a bit around, trying to at least find a more comfortable position, given that he was obviously unable to get down from where he was.

Finally, the furry creature got half of its body out of the earth again and shook off the earth from its pelage. It looked at the knight, still on its nerves, ready to flee. It opened its mouth and spoke, to Pipit's greatest amazement, in a language the freckle faced man understood.

"Ya're not one of those red creeps, yes?"

Inside the thing's mouth, Pipit saw a pink tongue move about and two lines of white pointy teeth moving away from each other and vice versa as it talked. As it repeated its question a second time because of Pipit's silence, the knight kicked himself mentally to get a hold of his shaken nerves. He looked at the creature in the eye.

"I guess not…"

It didn't seem to be enough assurance for the thing. It folded its arms.

"Ya only 'guess so'? How am I supposed to know like that?"

The knight reached a hand to his forehead, massaging it with the tip of his fingers. He didn't have much patience right now. All his body was aching from his crashy landing; he was tired and still somewhat dizzy from that way too long dashing he had done through Skyloft. He didn't have much of patience to spare on things such as answering the question of he-didn't-know-what-creature's question about if he was something he didn't know about. He growled his answer, extremely annoyed.

"How am I supposed to know? I don't even know what these 'red creeps' things are…"

The thing cocked its head to a side, then another, watching at the man in the tree more closely.

"Now that ya mention it, ya look more like the other guy from the sky."

That immediately rang a bell in Pipit's mind. He straightened real fast, almost falling to the dangerously far ground under him.

"You know Link?”

“That's his name?"

Pipit moved around, excited, and described his friend as best he could.

"He has around my shape and height, green clothes, blue eyes…"

The creature nodded at every characteristic, its ears and nose flickering endlessly. When Pipit was finished and out of ideas to describe Link and stopped, the thing opened its mouth again with a move of the nose.

"Yes, yes, no error, that's the guy.”

“Where is he?"

It rubbed its chin with one of its hands.

"I heard Ledd say he saw him land around the top of the volcano. He must be around there."

Pipit didn't knew neither who was Ledd nor what was a volcano, but on the account of the creature's head's move, he understood the mountain afar was what it called a 'volcano'

"Thank you."

The thing smiled, waving its ears.

"Glad to be of service."

Pipit was all happy he had managed to know Link's location so fast. That is, before remembering he was caught at only ten annoying yet deadly meters from the ground. He looked back at the thing.

"I'd need to go see him. Can you, erm, help me get down?"

The thing cocked its head to the side.

"Ya can't?”

“In fact, no. I landed there not to die from hitting the ground too hard, but now I can't get down. Could you help me, … err…”

“Nackle's the name. I'm one of the Mogmas.”

“Nackle. Could you help me find a way to get down from here, please?"

The Mogma thought a bit. Then, he disappeared under the earth. Pipit watched at the tiny hole left behind, waiting for Nackle to get back anytime. But time passed, and nothing moved there. After fifteen minutes of this wait, the knight sighed loudly and let his head drop onto the branch. He focused on the floor under him, so damn near, but at the same time so far. He hoped he could have his Loftwing with him. It'd be way easier that way. But he well knew they were not able to descend so near The Surface. They needed the air of the high skies to breath correctly. Half an hour after the leaving of the Mogma, the freckle face heard some digging under him. At first it was so faint he didn't hear it, but the decibels rapidly built up and it soon began to be so loud Pipit wasn't able to ignore it. He saw the earth move around right under where he was. He unsteadily got on all four to observe the occurrence more closely. Soon, three, then five furry heads popped out of the ground, all similar. Most of the fur was brown, with the exception of Nackle's one. They had different hear colors, but all in all, that was almost their only difference. The grey Mogma looked up at Pipit and called:

"Jump!"

Pipit's eyes widened.

"What?!?"

Nackle waved his arms largely in front of him.

"Jump! We're gonna catch you!"

That had to be the worst solution to a problem the knight had ever heard.

"I'm NOT jumping off that branch. I'm going to kill myself if I do so!”

“Come on, try it! There's no danger."

Pipit wasn't really agreeing at that, but he didn't comment to the Mogma. Instead, he whispered to himself:

"Of course there's no danger for you. You're already on ground level."

But no matter how reluctant he felt, that solution was better than the inexistent one he had. So, unwillingly and scared like hell, he took a deep breath. Then, after a last moment hesitation, he placed his life in the Mogmas' hands and jumped.

As soon as he lost contact with all physical substance, Pipit closed his eyes instinctively. He didn't let out any sound, though, as much at the beginning of his fall as at the end of it. After what he felt had been hours, he kind of landed in the Mogmas' arms. In fact, it should more likely be called a crash rather than a landing, as the moles didn't expect such a tiny human could be so heavy. But, even if Pipit felt even more pain filling his whole body now, at least he was down from that tree. He got on a sitting position and looked at Nackle, which was staring at him, along with all his brothers. The knight dusted his tunic a bit in a half-faked gibberish fashion to reassure the people in front of him.

"Err… thanks."

The Mogmas' faces illuminated in relief. One of them which he hadn't yet met answered him.

"No problem, pal."

The Mogma looked a lot like Nackle. The both of them had the same shape, claws and kind of clothing, even the fur around their eyes was the same. However, that one had a very light brown fur and a red-brown hair flat on his head. He looked as any other of his fellows, at the exception that he seemed a bit more imposing than the other ones, for as much as it meant. Referring to the way he was acting, he seemed to be the one leading them all. He had his arms crossed, but it seemed more to be out of habit than to be any aggressive to Pipit.

"Nackle told me you're after the green guy?" 

The yellow-clothed answered the question while he at the same time checked his equipment to make sure everything was into place, and in good shape.

"Yes. I need to have a talk with him. Do you know where he can be?"

The Mogma turned to face Eldin's volcano and pointed to the top of it.

"He's probably up there. I saw him land."

The freckle face let his eyes follow the invisible line traced by the Mogma's finger to the destination it was pointing out. It seemed really high up and nothing on the side of this weird mountain seemed to give the hint of a trail. Pipit looked at the group of moles still there and asked:

"How to I climb up there? I don't see any way up."

The Mogma acting like a leader pointed to the road heading down from where they were.

"You get down through there. You'll meet a junction, where you can go left or right. I'd say you go right. That's longer, but the reddies are all over the left road up.”

“Thank you for the warning, but I think I'll still take the left. I won't be able to catch up to Link if I don't take the shortest routes. As for the 'reddies', don't worry. I can defend myself."

On these words, Pipit took off to the volcano, hoping to find friend soon.


	3. Chapter 3

The yellow-clothed knight got away from his landing zone and, after a moment’s hesitation, went right. He remembered he had told the Mogmas he was going to take left, but he wanted to survey the area, in case his friend would have gotten down the mountain since the moment the creatures had seen him landing. While walking, he looked at the red river flowing by him to his left. He couldn’t understand how the fishes in it could survive. They were all black and moved slowly, a bit like they were deaf keeses. Talking of which, he could hear those bats’ sounds. At first, he thought he was daydreaming. But then he turned his head to look in front of him and rapidly realised that he was not. He could see in front of him, hanging from the roof, a lot of these pests. He walked slowly, doing his best not to wake them up, but as soon as he stepped in the closing passage that was his route, red chuchus popped out of the ground. Pipit backed up, trying to get away from them, which let him just the time to get his sword out to fight the blobby things.

Being a senior knight, he didn’t have that too much problem dealing with them, but the sound he made by fighting them awoke the keeses that, at the knight’s greatest dismay, went on fire as soon as their tiny eyes tilted open. At first, he thought of fighting them too, but rapidly found out that there was a whole swarm of them and, considering the pain still in his body from his fall, and the fatigue it was causing him, he was not up for the challenge. Also, the heat was making him even weaker, lessening the efficiency of his reflexes. So, unknowingly, he did exactly as had Link done at his first passage: he ran into the cavern to cross it as fast he could. 

Once out on the other side of it, having avoided both most of the keeses and the fluctuating lava, he found himself in a way colder cavern. The temperature was even so good, the knight sat for a second to catch his breath. He could hear the keeses in the burning part of the caverns, but did not bother about it. He had looked before letting go and seen that the keeses, considering him not worth the effort of leaving their cave, had decided to let him alone.

He looked at the weirdly shaped flowers in the center of the cavern and wondered why they were looking like that. They seemed like blue pumpkins with a flower over them. Curious, he got back up and kneeled before them. He reached out to grab on one of them and put it off the ground. His first attempt was not very successful, for it seemed as if it was hardly stuck in the ground. He changed position to be able to deliver more power, but then, at the moment he was about to start pulling, a voice came from his back and startled him, 

“Don’t touch that!”

He left the plant alone and turned around so fast he only knew he had moved after his sword was out and pointed at a Mogma that was there, looking at him with its arms crossed.

“Why are ya pullin’ at Bombflowers anyway? Ya wanna blow yourself off?”

Pipit looked at the weird flower, then back at the Mogma:

“ ‘Bombflower’, you say? Is that its name?”

The creature looked at him in heavy disbelief.

“Ya not aware what that is?”

“Well, no, that is mainly why I am asking.”

“That’s a flower tha’ explodes when ya uproot it.”

Pipit looked at the blue pumpkin thing and frowned. If that Mogma was right – and it was highly probable it was – he had been quite lucky not to end up blown-up. He could have ended heavily wounded or even dead. He turned back to face the mole, putting his sword back in its sheath.

“Well, thank you for the warning. “

“Na prob’. What ya doin’ here anyway? Ya don’t look familiar.”

“I am looking for Link.”

“The flyin’ guy?”

“Yes.”

“Like him. Saved me from the reddies in the Temple up the volcano.”

“Seriously? I thought he was a lazy guy. He sleeps on his Loftwing all the time.”

“Didn’t look like one. But I guess ya’re getting’ new energy when ya try t’save a friend.”

Both stopped talking, staring at each other. Pipit was wondering just how much he didn’t know about Link. The Mogma, as for him, was absolutely appalled by that “Loftwing” word. Just what in the damn hells was that thing supposed to be? Some kind of rock?

“Oh, I nearly forgot presentations. I am named Pipit.”

“Pleasure man. Name’s Silva.”

“Enchanted.”

“Yeah, yeah. ‘Said ya were lookin’ for green guy?”

“Yes.”

“Saw him upper.”

Silva pointed the opening opposite to the one leading to the keeses’ grotto.

“Tha’ way’s the best. Ya just follow the road left n’ you cross the bridge. Go left at the bird’s statue. Tha’ trail’ll’lead ya to the top o’ the mountain. Ya got all?”

The yellow clothed knight took the time to make sure he had understood and was remembering everything before he agreed and left, waving at yet another friend he had made. He then turned around and walked away. The Mogma, left behind, was still wondering what a Loftwing was.

*******************

As he passed the door leading to the outside, the valiant freckle face heard a sound he thought there was no way he would hear down in here. To his ears were dancing notes of Zelda’s harp. He stopped and listened closely, trying to find out where it was coming from. After a moment, he reopened them, now aware they were coming from where he was going.

He walked slowly, unwillingly lulled by the magic music. He was so caught-up in the atmosphere it was creating that it took him some time to realize it when both he and the music stopped at once. He opened his eyes and looked at where he was. He had advanced and was right at when the road turned left to the bridge crossing the red river. He turned it and, as he was doing so, got blinded by a flash of light. Instinctively, he got a hand up to protect his eyes and another on his sword in case of an attack.

The light and blindness faded fast, and Pipit could then see once again. He opened his eyes and what he saw then made him freeze. Right in front of him, past the bridge, was Link. His sword was stuck in the floor, right in the middle of a glowing flower that seemed painted on the floor. The green knight himself looked like a statue, both his hands gripping at the sword’s hilt with all their might, and a face that looked like he was in deep sleep, eyes closed. All around him was some kind of bubble, blue and shining over-bright. Unbelieving, Pipit ran to the water-looking matter surrounding his friend and stopped in front of it. He approached a finger closer to it and touched it slightly. At the tip of it he felt he was touching something thin as air, yet solid as hell.

He placed his full hand on it slowly, stretching his fingers in all directions. Then, felling no answer from the strange bubble, he placed the second one on it as slowly. It still answered by nothingness. Still unbelieving, the freckle faced knight pushed on it.

Right away, he felt electricity run all around his body and got thrown far away from the thing. He landed on his back and slid until he hit a wall, getting knocked unconscious by the impact. He lied there, passed out, having crossed back the bridge thrice as fast as the first time, for hours.


	4. Chapter 4

When he woke up, Pipit did not right away know where he was. Under his back he felt a very hard soil, most probably rock, he thought. Somehow, he felt extremely how, as if he was in the hot-days of Skyloft. He could feel sweat tears run down his back. He was hearing the sound of a thick liquid flow not far from where he was. Another sound he could make out was the one of a faint conversation some bit away. He could not recognize who’s voices it was, they were talking too low, but by the way they sounded, he could make out one of the voice was female and the other male. He tried to open his eyes to look at his surroundings, but as soon as his lips parted, he found his iris assaulted by the sun’s light. He closed them back immediately, which seemed to catch the attention of the duo not far, for they stopped talking right away.

He heard one pair of feet walk toward him and some clothing flutter as the person sat by him. Almost right away, the man’s voice told him:

"Don’t move, Pipit. You hit your head."

That made the freckle faced night’s eyes pop open. Despite the advice, he tried to move his head his right in an attempt to make eye contact with the man he had been after. That sent a bolt of pain along his back from his neck to his toes, making him grunt in answer. Almost right away, he heard Link talk again with a mix of amusement and concern in his voice:

"I told you not to move. Don’t you ever listen?"

“I guess not... “

“That could be one point to improve, I think.’’

The yellow clothed skyloftian was enjoying the conversation, but he had questions, and he felt he really had to ask them.

‘’Where are we?”

“Don’t you remember? We are at Eldin Volcano.”

“Ah, yes, the strange mountain...”

“As you say.”

“Who was with you, just now?’’

To that question, for some time, only silence gave answer. Curious of this reaction from his friend, Pipit tried to turn his head again, forgetting about the first warning, which made an even worse pain fill him. He growled in pain and annoyance, as he realised he could do nothing else than wait and see. He heard the man by him get back up and tell him:

"Wait. I think I have an idea to help you."

On these words, the footsteps of the green clad knight go fainter and fainter until they stopped some meters away. Then, the freckle face did not hear anything for several seconds and was about to ask his friend what he was doing when he heard the deafening sound of cracking wood. The sound echoed more than once, as Link seemed to gather enough wood to make a fire. After some minutes of this music and its echoes, the moving silence of the volcano took over again and Link walked a bit closer. The steps stopped before they reached Pipit’s side, though, and soon the laying-down man heard sounds of metal hitting wood, with a mumbled comment from the green-clothed knight:

‘’This is so not the right tool for doing this...’’

His curiosity heightened by the sounds and the comment, the freckle face asked:

‘’What are you doing?’’

Link only gave him a vague answer, with a far-away voice:

‘’Wait a second...’’

So, Pipit did as he was asked and waited a bit. He kept on hearing the sound of wood-to-metal hard contact, along with some other sounds. He also heard the girl’s voice again, but once again, he did not hear what the two farther were discussing about. That is, if we except the time Link had shouted, clearly angry:

"I know I can’t delay! But there’s no way I’ll leave him here!"

After that, the woman tried to talk to him, but she got no answer, until the green clad man began interacting again, with an obviously angry voice. They seemed to be arguing for some time, until the freckle face heard a strange sound followed by the one of a somebody sheathing a sword. Then, Link walked back to his friend’s side and Pipit felt himself being lifted. He heard the blue-eyes man talk to him and soon finally saw him as he was put to lean against the wall. Then, with almost tender movements, the blond guy got closer and placed something around his neck. The senior knight let the other do as he wished, as he felt a bit uncomfortable from being so close to the other. After a few moments of attentive care from a side and intense awkwardness from the other, the improvised nurse moved away and smiled at his patient.

"Okay, that should do. Try to move."

A bit stressed at the memory of the deep pain that had come from his two last attempts, the freckle face did as he was told with a lot of circumspection. He moved his head up and down and didn’t feel anything, so, after another moment’s hesitation and an anxious look at an encouraging Link, he began turning his head to the sides at an asthmatic snail’s pace. At his great surprise, he almost didn’t feel anything, only being bothered by a slight soreness. He got his head back into place and stared at the man in front of him. An enormous smile was on the other man’s face:

"Did you feel anything?"

“No... No, I didn’t. How did you do that?”

“I put some wood around your neck. I don’t exactly know how you hurt yourself or if anything is broken, but it usually helps. And it seems it did for this once.”

“Yes, I guess. I really feel better... Thanks.’’

The news of his friend feeling better and the thanks seemed to make the man so happy that it became even more blinding to Pipit than the Sun had been to him when he had woken up. On the contrary of the reaction he had had upon awakening, though, he kept his eyes open and stared at his friend. He smiled back and they stayed like that, sat one in front of the other, until Link seemed to get a bit more serious:

"What are you doing down here?"

The question took Pipit aback and he didn’t answer immediately. It seemed it had been a good idea, since the blond knight decided to explain himself, darting his blue eyes everywhere but on his interlocutor:

"I mean... I thought I was the only one that could get down here, and... I don’t get why you would follow me. Groose, I get it, he’s a bit slow on the edges sometimes, but..."

The last sentence astonished the freckle faced guy and he couldn’t help interrupting his friend:  
"Groose...?"

Link stopped talking and looked fixedly at the freckle face, as if his brain had a hard time processing what the wounded man had said. Then, he answered the implicit question, while looking at his twisting hands like they were of primordial importance at the moment.

“Yeah... I jumped off in the forest’s – the green – hole in the clouds and, since Groose had decided he was to be the one saving Zelda, he jumped right after me. He almost killed us both doing that,” laughed Link with stress. He seemed really on his nerves, for a reason the senior knight could not make out. “We managed to land, but he freaked out and... in fact I’m surprised you’re not doing the same in fact... and then he...”

“Calm down. I think I really don’t understand. You only tell me parts of the story and I can’t make the links. Could you tell me in the details what happened?”

“I... I guess.”

And so, as he was asked, he began with the beginning. He told to Pipit everything he had had said to Groose at the other man’s landing in the forest. He talked about how Zelda had fallen off to the Surface, his tries to get her back, Ghirahim, his fights against the monsters, the people he had met in his journeys. But he also talked about thing he had not mentioned to his red-haired fellow. He told Pipit about the legend and his current mission, the magic related to it all, and even how he sometimes felt when he had to confront enemies he felt were way too strong for him, and the pride that invaded him whenever he would beat one of them. However he did not mention the goddess’s statue and its insides, neither did he talk about Fi, the dragons and the Shadow Realms. He thought it was best not to mention these, as he knew they were really hard to believe. He also somehow felt it was the last step to involving Pipit in all this mess, which he wanted to spare him from.

During all the time Link talked, the brown-haired man did not say a thing and just listened to every word the green clad knight would utter, processing slowly all the information he was given. He stared at his friend with intelligent blue eyes, making the other completely avoid his glance after he had met it many times and always had felt some malaise at the sight of the attentive irides focused on him. The senior knight did not ask any question, which he kept for himself until the blond skyloftian had finished talking. Then, he asked and asked about details he was not sure he had fully understood. Since Link had not mentioned them, he kept the ones interrogations he had about the woman and the strange blue electrical bubble for himself. He was patient when he needed to be, and he did not want to make his friend feel uncomfortable. The green-clothed man seemed relieved he was only asking about these things, and answered as best he could.

After some time, Pipit ran out of questions, and so it seemed to be Link’s turn to inquire.

“Say, Pipit...”

“Hm?”

“I would have some questions, too.”

“Alright. Shoot.”

“Well, first... Are you... still mad... I was the one cleaning your house?’’

The freckle face sighed as he felt a stab of anger in his heart. He closed his eyes to keep his calm.

"I guess I am, yes.”

“It’s just...”

It’s just what? ’’snapped Pipit all of a sudden, making the other jump in surprise. ‘’You KNOW we need this money! Do you think I make night rounds for the fun of it? We’re almost always out of money!”

“I didn’t...”

“The worst about it, the thing I don’t get, is that you KNOW that! You’re the one that’s the most aware of our monetary situation and yet... yet...’’

The brown-haired man growled in anger as the words seemed to flee away afraid of his rage. Link opened and closed his mouth many times before he gathered his courage enough to talk:

"Can I... say something...?”

“What!’’

The green-clothed skyloftian cowed under the word as if he had been punched. Seeing that, Pipit tried to modulate his voice to sound a bit less threatening:

"What?”

“You know... uhm... how can I say...”

“Just say it, for the Goddess’s sake!”

“The money...”

“What of it?”

“Never used...”

“What?”

“I never... used it... I keep it...”

“That doesn’t even make sense! Why would you accept the money she gives you if you don’t use it?”

“She won’t let me go... if I refuse it... So...”

“Stop making excuses!”

“I’m not... look...I intended to... give it back... as a gift... with something else...”

“A gift?”

“Yeah... around your birthday...”

“Why? Why not give it right back?”

“She would have noticed...”

“My mother, you mean?”

“Yeah...’’

Pipit sighed again in annoyance.

"I guess it would be her style to give it back to you when she would see you had given it back to me.”

“And the cleaning... it’s for you I do it...’’

The freckle face looked at the man in front of him with interrogation marks in his eyes. Link darted his eyes everywhere again, avoiding eye contact with the senior knight. He kept on wringing his hands as his foot his the floor in a fast rhythm. He continued talking, his voice decelerating as he headed toward the mumbling:

"I mean... You got lots to do... You’re senior... night patrols... studies... fly... Karane...”

“What about Karane?’’

Pipit thought he saw the blond man’s cheeks flush a bit at the question as stopped moving. Then, so fast he almost wasn’t able to make it out, the other darted:

"She’s you girlfriend.”

“Not anymore, no.’’

Link got his head up lightspeed and fixed the freckle face, whit a face so full of confusion it was almost scary. Pipit thought he also saw a faint hope, but he got reasoned himself; what could hope have to do with this conversation? He ignored the helium feeling in his belly at this thought and explained:

"You’re often away for long times so it kind of makes sense that you’re not aware of it. After you helped us get together, we tried to go out for a month. At the beginning, we were always lovey dovey, running after each other, missing each other whenever we’d..."

The freckle face stopped in the middle of his sentence, making his fellow look at him.

"What is it?"

"No, no... nothing..."

Had it been him, or had he seen some slight pain on the face of his friend while he had been talking about him and Karane loving each other? No, he probably had dreamt it. Still, he passed fast over the details that time.

"So, we were sickly in love. But as time passed we weren’t feeling like we needed each other as much anymore. After a month, we were back the same way we had been before: friends. We were not even kissing each other anymore. So, that’s what we decided to get back at being: good friends."

"So... that’s the story."

"As you say."

"Did you two..."

"Did we what?"

"Forget it... We should sleep, it’s almost night and I can tell you we’ll be up early tomorrow."

At these words, Pipit almost unconsciously looked up at the sky and noticed the Sun was already hidden behind the mountains, making Link right about the night coming. He lowered his head and eyes and opened his eyes to approve to the green-clothed knight. But he realised that the blond had already got up and walked away. He was getting his sword and shield off his back before he sat on the ground and said:

"Good night, Pipit."

His back was turned to the freckle face, and, to the brown-haired skyloftian, his sleep position had some alikeness with the foetal position. But he put this impression on the account of his eyes not focusing right and his brain being tired. Helping himself with his arms, he managed to get off the wall and lie down on the floor. He looked at his friend’s back and answered:

"Good night, Link."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Descriptive Violence

A hand landed on Pipit’s mouth as he was sleeping, waking him up in an instant. He pushed on it with his eyes closed, trying to free himself from it. The hold it had on him tightened, and a voice whispered from over him:

“Stop it…”

The freckle faced man calmed down when recognizing his fellow’s voice and opened his eyes, laying still. He saw Link’s bare arm before everything. He stared amazed at the collection of scars and burns that crept up from the hands to the shoulder, mingling and intersecting all over the flesh. There were cuts, bumps and even electricity wounds, the same kind that marked a thunder hit man’s skin. Some looked old and well healed, while others seemed brand new or struggling to close.

His eyes trailed along the line the arm traced to the green clad knight’s face, where he saw the man was not looking at him, but in fact at some invisible point in the air, meaning he was listening closely to his surroundings. In turn, the brown-haired skyloftian mimicked his fellow and opened his ears to any sound roaming the atmosphere.

It didn’t take long before he noticed the faint grunts and growls. Understanding the situation, he pushed gently on Link’s arm, making the other look at him an instant before the hero withdrew his hand. Or, more likely, noticed Pipit, before he stroke it out. The latter didn’t comment on it, neither on the blond’s red cheeks. That worried him – he hoped the other wasn’t affected by a fever – but he knew now was not the time for such questions.

He sat on the floor awkwardly, his muscles howling in pain from the previous day’s fall and adventures, but he didn’t let any sound nor expression tell it to his teammate. The green clad knight glared at him with a strange look in his eyes, as if he was gauging his ability to be of use against the threat of those strange growling things that, referring to the sound level, were getting closer.

“Get this off,” answered Pipit to the unasked question, pointing at his wooden ‘plaster’.

The green-clothed skyloftian gawked at his fellow a second before frowning. He shook his head in negation:

“That’s not a good idea. You might-”

“I. DON’T. CARE.” had the freckle face a hard time not to shout out. “There’s enemies out there and THIS hinder my movements. Take it off.” Then, after a hesitation: “Please?”

Link sighed and moved closer, whispering “fine…” by his mate’s ear as he worked on the wood pieces. After a few seconds, Pipit felt his neck being relieved from a stress and the blond knight distanced himself from his fellow once again, the now useless wood in his hand. The latter winced as he looked at the yellow-clad man’s neck:

“You have a blue neck”

“What?”

“You neck is completely blue from bruises,” explained the blond. “It starts a bit higher than the collar bone and stop under your chin.”

“Well…” grunted Pipit, “this explains that.” He glanced at his friend: “So, what do we do?”

The hero turned his jewel-blue eyes toward the door behind him, that he knew, led to a slippery, sandy way up the volcano’s side. He thought some time, trying to figure out a plan, before he got up to fetch his sword. He gave a fast glance to the man on the floor, but reported his attention onto his weapon almost right away.

“Fi.”

A blue form leapt out of the hilt at the word, making the unprepared sat skyloftian jump in surprise. It crystallized into a more or less human shaped flying form, floating two or three centimeters over the ground. From the head to the toes in straight line, she looked like any human, if not for the blue and purple colors reflecting over the thing under the influence of the – Pipit just noticed – dawning sun. She had a very usual hairstyle, a dress that went down to the beginning of her thigh, and laces rolling up her legs from her ballet flats. A diamond-shaped ocean blue gemstone emerged from where her breasts would have been, and the floating pieces of clothing that acted as arms on her side seemed constantly moved by an unfelt gush of wind.

“Yes, Master?”

“I need my bow, Fi.”

“Right away, Master. Although, I perceive only a 30% chance that you will be able to make use of it before the Bokoblins arrive in here.”

“Thanks for the advice, Fi, but I’ll still take it.”

“Of course, Master. May I give another advice, Master?”

“Sure, Fi. What is it?”

“I would recommend the protection of your companion from the threat. There is only a 10% chance that he would be able to fight against the incoming threat at full capacity. And I also sense that there is an 85% probability that the Bokoblins are a group of more than 5.”

Link looked back at the freckle faced man behind him. He was surprised to see him up on his feet, staring intently at him. He got his stare back forward and grabbed the bow and arrows the sword spirit was presenting him. He turned around and said:

“Stay here. Grab your stuff, and prepare. Don’t attack them until I tell you.”

The yellow clothed knight stared at the other:

“Are these the ‘reddies’ the Mogmas go on about?”

The green clad man gave him a surprised look.

“Yes… You met the Mogmas?”

“Yeah. But… I don’t think now is the best moment to talk about that.”

“I guess…”

They both grabbed their stuff on the ground. Pipit took his sword and stared at the other while shifting his hands on his weapon. Because of his contusions and muscle exhaustion, he found it particularly heavy. However, he decided that he would think of being out of breath after the encounter. Link put his shield and sheath on his back over his bare chest, not bothering to put a shirt on. He clipped the quiver on his back under the shield by his sheath, and sheathed the sword. Fi disappeared after what looked like a hesitation and silence fell upon the duo.

The grunts were extremely close . The humans could almost hear the Bokoblins walk their way to the plateau. The hero took an arrow in his hand and prepared it, his bow looking down, unstrained. He walked to the left side of the opening from which he knew the enemies would be coming, and motioned his fellow knight to stay silent.

He looked stealthily around the corner, and saw they had just finished crossing the lava river using the rock floating on it. Considering their IQ, the hidden fighter was surprised none of them had died in the process. He counted them in a second, and realised that Fi’s probability calculations had been right again: there were six Bokoblins total. One of them was a blue Bokoblins, which meant a lot of trouble if he got at fighting it.

He moved his bow arm around the corner and pulled the string up to full power. He took a few seconds to aim, then released and the arrow flew the meter separating him from his target, piercing the blue Bokoblin’s throat, the point and almost half of the shaft emerging on the other side. The creature let out a bubbly howl out before it fell to the floor, dead.

His red peers looked around, panicking, leaving Link enough time to land a second blow and leave only four of the foes from the original enemy group standing. One of them got lucky and saw him, and it screeched in anger and alarm before running to Link’s position, quickly followed by the three others. The blond hid behind the corner, hoping they would pass by him in their hurry to fight. He looked at the other, and moved his lips to form the word ‘incoming’. The freckle face nodded, signaling he had understood, and assured his grip around the hilt of his sword. 

While the Bokoblins were rushing to cover the few meters separating them from their attacker, Link released his bow, which fell on the floor, unsheathed his sword, then took his shield off his back. He stood there, his back to the wall, for the seconds he had to wait before his foes actually arrived at the entrance. 

He let two of the quartet pass, before his swung his sword around, catching a Bokoblin off guard, smashing the blade into the thing’s throat so violently he barely beheaded it. It fell to the floor, freeing the skyloftian’s sword in the process, but not fast enough for him to get the first strike against the second creature. He held up his shield, protecting himself from the mace’s hit, wincing in pain as the blow resonated in his bones, reawakening older wounds. 

He shoved the enemy’s weapon aside and dove forward, piercing the thing’s heart before it could bring its weapon back to protect itself against the attack. It lifted its mace over itself as it intended to hit a second time before dying, but its life cut short, and the wooden piece fell down over the body as the Bokoblin collapsed on the floor near the first dead.

The green clad knight turned around and saw his fellow, fighting for his life. Both Bokoblins were still up and in shape to fight, although one of the two seemed to have a harder time, as blood was dripping on the floor from a wound it had which the hero could not see, and its movements were slower. Still, the duo harassed the freckle face endlessly, one of them attacking as the other blocked the senior man’s tries to land blows.

Seeing that, Link hurried to the group, and pierced his way through one of the Bokoblin’s guts with his sword. He kicked it out of the falling body, the alerted last foe turning just fast enough to see its death coming a second before its head flew up in the air to land a meter away. He looked at his friend, the bloodstain on his blade evaporating under the effect of Fi’s magic. They were both panted hard from the effort, and the blond skyloftian asked, inspecting his fellow from head to toes:

“Are you alright?”

The freckle face let himself fall on the floor, releasing the sword as he landed.

“I think… Just a bit out of breath, is all.”

“Good,” smiled the other in relief, imitating his peer.

“What about you?”

“I’m alright.”

After these first inquiries, a silence fell over the duo, as they stared at the bodies. Pipit watched them evaporating, letting out pitch black and dark purple fumes as they seemed to burn from inside. He closed his eyes after a few seconds of this spectacle, feeling like throwing up. In a low, hoarse voice, he dared:

“You know…”

“What…?”

“I don’t really like this…”

Link chortled in an ironic joy.

“I guess it’s not really the best place ever for vacations…”

“No, I mean…” tried to correct Pipit, opening his eyes to stare at his confused friend. “I don’t like the way you dealt with these creatures. All this stealth, this backstabbing… It’s just… It doesn’t respect the Knight’s Values we were taught.”

Link frowned in anger.

“So what?”

He got up and glared evilly at his fellow, pointing a finger at him.

“How long have you been here? It hasn’t even been a full day! What do you know of all this? NOTHING! Not a damn thing!”

“But…!”

“What, ‘but’? ‘But you still should respect the Knight’s Values’? Do you know what it brings to follow these here?” asked the enraged knight. He waved at his scarred chest in large movements. “THIS is what happens when you stick to the Values!”

“Still…”

“Down here, Pipit, there are no Knights or Princesses, the Goddess is only a faint, dim notion,” continued the blond with venom. “All that matters on the Surface is your survival, and the survival of the people you love. NOTHING else has any sense. And, if you don’t understand that quickly, I can promise you something…: you will die.”

The hero stopped howling, and the silence fell again, full of rage from a side and of discomfort from the other. The green clothed skyloftian was panting even harder than he had been after their fight against the Bokoblins, and a glint of wrath was flickering in his eyes. The man on the floor looked at his enraged friend and tried, after a long hesitation:

“Am I… one?”

At these words, Link came to a stop and stared at his fellow knight with fish eyes.

“What?”

“Am I one of those ‘people you love’?” insisted Pipit.

“Uh… Y-yes…” answered the hero, hesitantly, not sure to understand, and unable to say any more.

The freckle faced knight smiled.

“I’m glad.”

“Uh… Y-yeah…” was all could say the other.

“You know…” started to say the yellow clad knight before changing his phrasing: “You see… maybe you’re right.”

“Huh?” questioned a mentally affected Link.

“I’ve only been here for this night and last evening… I haven’t really had the time to see for myself,” finished Pipit with a woeful face. “I’m sorry for lecturing you.”

“No, I don’t think you were…” said Link with discomfort. “I think…” He sighed. “I think I’m just tired of chasing after Zelda with so little result. It has already been over a damn YEAR!”

“Yeah… Maybe you should take some kind of ‘vacations’… You said she was not in danger anymore, right?”

“Not for now, no.”

“Then I think a day or two more would help you.”

“But…” hesitated the blond, “what if it ends up that these days off are what kills Zelda? I’d never forgive myself for it.”

“I don’t know…”

They stared at each other for a moment, before the green clothed knight walked closer and offered a hand to his friend.

“We better get going. If a group of these things came here, there’s bound to be more.”

“Good idea,” approved Pipit with a smile.

He grabbed the other’s hand and was lifted off the floor. He winced as he stood awkwardly, his muscles howling in pain.

“I hope we won’t encounter too many foes. I don’t think I can handle much right now.”

That made Link laugh. 

“Yeah, I guess your muscles must still be angry from your fall.”

He stopped, a glitter of fun still in his eyes.

“By the way, you didn’t tell me how you managed to follow me down here.”

“That’s… a complicated story,” tried to avoid the freckle face, picking back up his sword, almost falling back down in the process."

“It falls well, we have quite the long route to follow.”

“HOW long?”

Link pointed to the fumes exiting the volcano.

“Up to the top.”

“Shit.”


	6. Chapter 6

They were only started, and yet, Pipit could already feel his muscles beg for a pause. He was breathing heavily, so hard that he could almost hear it echo through the mountain’s sides.

“Could we… stop?”

Link stopped and looked back, which made him lose his balance and slide back down to the wooden platform. He arrived on it head over heels, and sprawled out at full length with a thud.

“Aw…” was the sound that came out from under him.

He lifted himself off the floor and sat down, shaking his head and rubbing the latter with his hand. After an instant, he looked up to his friend and asked:

“…did you say, again?”

The freckle face let himself drop on the wooden floor, still trying to catch his breath.

“I asked… we stop… for a second.”

“Oh, okay.” answered the green clothed knight.

He stared at his peer a moment, before he talked again:

“So…”

“…What…?”

“Why did you jump down in the first place?”

“Oh. That. Well…” he coughed a bit, clearing his throat. “I had been thinking about going to see you at the Academy in the afternoon to talk about the clean-up matter and be out with it. It had been on my mind since the morning. But it seems you had other plans for the day…”

“Well, uh…”

“No problem, just saying the facts. So, … ah, yes. You gave my mom that letter you wrote- …that reminds me… I haven’t read it yet.”

“Are you serious?” wondered Link in disbelief. “You jumped down the clouds without reading what I had written?”

“Well, I got a bit taken-up by the moment,” tried to explain the brown-haired skyloftian with a bit of uneasiness. “Aaaanyway,” he continued with – the green clad man could swear it – a slight blush, “I grabbed my sword and my moneybag – I’m not even sure why I took that one. Then I ran out of the house in a hurry and started looking for you.”

“Why would you…” mumbled the hero, not finishing his sentence.

“What is it?” questioned the freckle face with an interrogative stare.

“Nothing, nothing,” answered the blond, avoiding his peer’s eyes and waving his hands to prompt his friend to continue.

“Okay. As I was saying,” continued Pipit while keeping an attentive glance on the other, “I ran out of the house and looked around for you. I knew, for my mother reported me she had heard Luv talk about the many potions she had sold you the day before, that you were to leave soon.”

“Oh. So that’s why-… I see.” commented the green-clad knight with a mechanic voice.

The freckle-faced skyloftian frowned a bit, but he kept on.

“I looked to the nearby air dock, before I ran at full speed to the Academy. Quite the fuss I created, I think. I remember bumping onto at least half a dozen people in my hurry.” giggled the yellow clothed man. 

Unaware of the shifting of the other, he kept on.

“You were not there, so I ran up to the Goddess’s statue. I know you often go there to pray and all, so I figured you might be there.” He laughed. “I swear to the Goddess I was this close…” he motioned with his fingers an almost inexistent space “…to throwing up. I really have no stamina.”

“I don’t think, no.” Negated Link, keeping his gaze pinned to the floor. “Fledge is way worse.”

“Oh, you would be surprised. He’s improved quite a lot. I think he would make a great knight. He also worked on his other skills.”

“Ah.” was all that came from the other side as an answer.

Pipit frowned again and moved until he was right in front of the other. He grabbed his peer’s chin, and before the other could react, moved the head upward and pressed his forehead against Link’s, eyes closed.

The blond immediately shoved his friend away with all his might, scrambling away at the same time. The freckle faced man landed hard on his back, unable to catch himself, and it made a ‘donk’ when his head hit the wooden floor of the platform. He got back into a sitting position, only to see that the green-clad knight was turning his back to him. He felt a throbbing pain at the back of his neck, and he put his hand on the spot. There was nothing yet, but he knew he would end up with a bump there.

“Was that REALLY necessary?” he complained as he rubbed the painful spot.

“You just had to not surprise me!” cried the other with a surprisingly childish voice as he cowered.

Pipit closed an eye and considered the matter

“Right. Maybe it was not the best of ideas.”

Nothing came back as an answer.

“It’s just… I was wondering if you had a fever, or something. It’s hot around here, and you’re always on the run. Also, you had been acting strange since I had begun talking, so I was worried.”

Link flashed a glance backwards, exposing a part of his face. The freckle face noticed that the other’s cheeks were deep crimson, and so were his ears. He got up out of concern, despite his muscles’ advice to stay put and not move for the next full month, and walked up to the hero’s side.

He put a hand on his friend’s shoulder:

“Look, are you alright? You’re red as the river’s ‘waters’…”

Link shoved his way out of the light grip and moved away, stopping at a corner of the platform, where he sat with his legs held in his arms, his head resting on his knees.

“Just- just leave alone… for a moment…”

The brown-haired man looked at his peer with worried eyes, but didn’t say anything and walked away to the other corner. He settled himself down there and waited, shooting glances at the other from time to time.

***

After what Pipit estimated as more or less fifteen minutes, without any foreshadowing, Link got back on his feet and turned to the other. The freckle face imitated his friend and moved to stand up. Once this done, he faced the other. The green-clothed knight grinned:

“We better get going now. I made us waste way too much time.”

“…right.” agreed the other skyloftian.

However, even though he didn’t comment on it, he could decipher the pain hiding itself under the mask. He stared at it intensely, and so, he was taken by surprise when his peer asked him:

“But before, you have to tell me the end of the story.”

“What story?” questioned Pipit, not quite following.

“Why you jumped down the clouds.”

“Oh. Well, when I was at the Statue, I saw you afar. I don’t exactly know what happened in my head at that moment,” confessed the freckle face, “but all I could think of was catching up to you. So I jumped on my Loftwing, flew after you and… when you jumped, I- I didn’t think, I jumped.” He showed a self-ironic smile. “That has to be the stupidest act of my whole life.”

Link chuckled. 

“I’d have to concur.”

“Hey!” protested the yellow-clad knight, shoving his friend playfully.

The hero laughed, moving away.

“Okay now we better get going. We won’t be reaching the top of the mountain today at that speed.”

“Agreed.”


	7. Chapter 7

Pipit let himself drop on the ground, exhausted. He let out a sigh and laid down on his back, placing his head on both his crossed arms. Link walked toward him and stopped with his feet almost touching his fellow knight’s side. The freckle face stared at his friend’s upper part hovering over him and smiled feebly.

“I think I’m tired…”

The hero grinned at those words, his shoulders jumping as he repressed a snicker. 

“I can see that.” His eyes gained a serious glitter. “Should eat something first, though.”

“Yeah, you’re right” agreed the brown-haired man with a straining voice as he sat. He grimaced. “I’m so numb from today I don’t even feel the pain from my falling anymore.”

Link sat by his friend’s side:

“You’ll be alright?”

“Yeah, I just –grmf –” he growled as he stretched “need to get some sleep I think.”

“Okay.”

The blond skyloftian got all his gear off as Pipit was doing the same, then he fetched a bottle full of life potion from his pouch. He showed it to his fellow with a not-so-convinced smile:

“You want some?”

“Well, I guess so…”

“Better so, even just to not make Luv mad” smirked Link.

The green clad knight laughed loudly. 

“Right. She could gossip about it to Rupin.”

“Come on, don’t make fun of the man” chuckled Link. “After all he’s working damn hard to always keep that smile on his face.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” confirmed the blond with a broad smile. “You’d see him at night, he is grumpy as hell.”

“Well, that proves he is dedicated, no?”

The hero thought about it for an instant.

“I guess, yes.”

On these words, the conversation died and a comfortable silence extended between the two for a few minutes before Link talked again.

“You know, I’m actually surprised we managed to reach the top today” he said as he looked at his friend.

Pipit smiled.

“I’m not that feeble.”

The blond man giggled.

“Come on, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I knoooowww…” 

The both laughed.

“It’s great you’re not being slowed down by your wounds.”

“That’s only flesh. It will heal.”

“I guess” the green clad knight grinned.

The yellow clothed skyloftian sighed happily and looked at his friend.

“You know, I’m glad I can talk with you that freely.”

“I know, I got the same feeling. The only other one I do talk that freely to is Keet.”

Pipit looked at his friend, a bit surprised.

“Keet…?”

Upon hearing his mate, Link realized what he had just said and tried to back up.

“You know, he’s a very good listener, and he keeps secrets. And after all, he’s like me, so I guess this gives us some kind of special relation”, he tried with laugh full of stress.

“What do you mean, ‘the same’?”

The brown-haired man wasn’t following the conversation anymore. He was completely lost, and the more his fellow talked, the less he understood.

“You know, both men, and there’s also that…”

“What ‘that’?”

“You know, about love.”

“What of it?”

“When there’s balls instead of boobs…”

“What?”

As he was fumbling, he grew redder and redder and Pipit could see he was getting more and more uneasy. After several minutes of this game, Link stopped trying to answer the questions and went silent. The freckle face tried to get him into saying some more, but the blond hero stayed still and silent. Pipit got slowly closer, careful not to startle Link this time around. He placed his hand on the other’s shoulder and kept nudging the other into telling him what was the matter.

After a moment, Link started and grabbed his friend’s wrists in a tight grip, facing him:

“I’m gay, for the Goddess’s sake! Get it already!”

The freckle face fell back in surprise in reaction his friend’s sudden anger as the hero let go of his wrists. He tumbled to the floor, ending up on his back, hitting the same spot than the last time. He felt a bolt of pain hit him, and he groaned, keeping his eyes closed. He stopped moving, unable to want to do anything.

Worried, the green clad man got closer and asked:

“Are you alright?”

“I don’t know…” moaned the other.

He tried to get back sit, but when he did, he felt dizzy and lay back down.

“I don’t think I do…”

“I’m sorry…”began Link, quickly interrupted by Pipit:

“No, no. I guess that was hard to say. And I was a real pain.”

He chuckled, quickly stopped by another shot of pain it created.

“I think we better sleep” proposed the freckle face as he kept his eyes closed.

The blond skyloftian held back a snicker:

“Probably.” 

He lied down close to his friend.

“I hope you’ll stop getting wounded. People will end up thinking I beat down here.”

“Stop making me laugh” giggled Pipit. “It’s painful.”

“Okay, okay… Good night.”

“’night.”

***

He could hear the other breath calmly as he kept his eyes closed tight, trying to ignore the man beside him. He knew he was fast asleep, for the way he inhaled and exhaled was so serene. He felt so happy just being there beside him, just enjoying the other’s presence. But it also tore him apart to feel such a proximity and not be able to touch the other and kiss him, cuddle, hug…

He felt a tear slide down from his closed lids and sat up, wiping them clear of water, sniffing as he felt his heart shrink in pain. For how long had he been holding that back? For how long had he had to play best friend without Pipit noticing his needy stares whenever he’d have his back turned? 

He looked at the other beside him. He still recalled that time when he had played cupid for his friend and Karane, after Cawlin’s letter to the girl. He had been able to keep a poker face on, but from the beginning, the very first time he had gone to Pipit to tell him about it and seen the expression in the other’s eyes at the news, but ever since he had understood it was Karane that had been his chosen one, he had felt so empty somewhere. Or, more like everywhere. But at least, he had known there was a hope for him. Now that the freckle face had been taken away, he could have walked his own way and found somebody else. But…

But now, now he had learned he was free again, that Karane was no longer his special person. What was he supposed to do with THAT? How was he supposed to do with the knowledge that he had the possibility, the right to try and make himself that special place in his heart? Was he supposed to just ignore it? To take a guess and tell his friend? To kill himself?

He doubled over and grabbed his temples. There was no way he could just stay like that. He had to leave him behind or tell him. Now the other knew his orientation, and he was accepting it. How big was the step to take to being okay with HIM as a special one? Where were the borders between deep friendship and love? Between dream and reality? Between his thoughts being deceitful and of good counsel? 

He let out a sob. What was that ‘admirable duty’ Pipit had been talking to him about? WHAT was the knight’s duty? Did he have to leave his feelings behind to perform them? Had he to let go of that part of him, that most of him for the sake of being a knight, a valuable person? But it was so painful… It was so painful to let go, yet it was also so painful to try and try.

He leaned on his side and closed his eyes, shifting to grab his legs. He tossed until he ended up touching Pipit’s back. The other twitched, but nothing more than a sigh came out of his mouth. Link sighed in pain. Why had he to be so aware of every of his movements? Could he not just ignore him, and close the doors that led from his heart to his brain? Wasn’t there a way?


	8. Chapter 8

Link woke up in the same position some hours later, as the stillness of the night was being traded with the energy coming from the first of the Sun’s rays. He stared at the yellow clothing right in front of him and sighed. He felt exhausted from his night, even more than he had been from all his different adventures down on the Surface.

He slowly let go of his legs, careful not to wake Pipit up, and got up. All his members hurt, and he could barely stand. He stretched and moved around to un-numb his arms and legs for a few minutes, until he heard Pipit begin to shift and turn. He turned around and looked at the man on the floor.

At the sight of the older knight trying to shield his eyes from the sun’s rays, Link couldn’t help but let a giggling sound exit his nose. Right away, the yellow-clothed skyloftian lifted an arm, keeping the other on his eyes:

“I heard that!”

The only made the hero laugh more under his sleeve. His friend lifted a bit his second arm from his eyes and glanced at the standing man. He closed his eyes and sprawled both his arms to the sides, looking like a fusion between a Remlit enjoying the sun and a Lizalfos skin on a living room’s floor. He stayed like that a moment before he moved again, sitting up with his eyes closed.

“Day already? I could swear I closed my eyes seconds ago.”

“That’s perfectly normal. After all-” Link continued as he stretched again “you’re not used to that kind of activity.”

“And my back hurts so much…”

The hero didn’t answer that one, only looking away. He was about to say something to change the subject when Fi leaped out of his sword on the floor, interrupting their conversation.

“Master.”

“Yes, Fi?”

The yellow clad knight looked at his companion talking with the blue phantom he named “Fi”. He couldn’t comprehend how Link was able to understand and answer it. All he himself could make out of the thing was a constant lulling music at the limit of his audition, that somewhat told him that it was friendly, but that it could also be dangerous if he ever tried to attack its master. 

As he waited, half listening to the conversation, he fixed his eyes on the haywire order of his friend’s scars. He had slept with his shirt off, and they were easily readable. The scars of his chest, which the freckle face hadn’t noticed the last time, were both better and worse. They were less present, but when they were, they were way worse, howling to the world they had been life threatening. Pipit wondered how many life potions the younger man had drunk since the beginning of his escapes to the surface. He could not even think of a number.

While he stared, Link shot him glances, feeling uneasy being under such an intense glare from the other. So much, that Fi asked about it:

“Master, is there a problem?”

“Uh, no, Fi, it’s okay…”

“I detected a fastening of your heartbeat by 15% and of your breathing by 7%. Are you sure?”

“Yes, Fi, don’t worry, it’s nothing.”

“Understood. As I was saying, there is a 98% chances the man you name ‘Pipit’ will not be able to follow you any further.”

“Because of the volcano’s heat, right?”

“Yes, Master; I would strongly recommend a lift-up.” confirmed the spirit of the sword. “If he comes, I detect a 77% chances he will die from being exposed to the volcano’s heat for a long time, which is an event that I detect has a 93% chances to occur.”

“So… Scrapper, huh?”

“I would suggest this solution. Shall I call him?”

“Wait a second.”

“As you wish, Master.”

She stayed where she was as Link walked towards his road companion, only floating around to follow him with her eyes as he walked. Seeing his friend coming closer, he snapped out of his stare and got up to face the other. 

“I have to get you back up over the clouds.”

“Why is that?”

It was not that he was totally against it, but he wanted to be of help, if possible.

“Fi reminded me that the next place I have to go to is INSIDE the volcano. That’s even why I was going through the Silent Realm; to get something that could shield me against its heat for long timespans. And I can’t make you come with me: you’ll catch fire if you do.” He winced a smile. “I experienced it myself.”

Pipit didn’t comment for a short moment before he got the conversation back on track again:

“So, how do we solve this problem?”

“Fi can call Scrapper, so he’d lift you back over the clouds.”

“Scrapper…?”

“Gondo’s robot.”

“Oh, you mean that broken thing he got from his grandfather that he had been trying to repair for ages?”

Link nodded.

“Yes. I brought him an ancient flower two, three months ago from Lanayru desert and he made oil out of it. Since then, it’s been helping me help other people on Skyloft and down on the surface e, carrying things I can’t carry myself.”

The yellow clad knight thought it through for a second before agreeing.

“I guess that would be the best solution.”

At these words, the hero turned around and nodded to Fi. In turn, she looked up towards the sky and fixed her glance to the clouds. A moment passed, and Pipit was about to question his friend about what the phantom was doing, when they began hearing a whirring sound. Some seconds after, a form appeared in the sky, and it didn’t take long after that for Scrapper to stop right in front of Fi.

“Mistress Fi! I came as fast as I could, brrrt! What do you want me to carry, bzzt?”

The yellow clad knight looked at robot’s appearance, with its uneven eyes, its electrical arms and its stone body. As ‘Fi’ and the machine seemed to be discussing, the auburn-haired skyloftian couldn’t help but feel uncertain if the idea was that good, in the end. After all, that thing was barely as high as his heel. How could it carry him around?

“Hey, Master Shortpants, BLEEP. You’re in my way.”

At those words, Pipit snapped out of his studying of the robot to look at Link. The latter had an annoyed expression on his face, which made the senior knight snicker.

“That’s a fancy nickname you got there, Link” he couldn’t help make the comment.

The hero sent him a death glare that could have destroyed the whole Market.

“Sorry, sorry…” apologized the yellow-clad man, still giggling.

He turned his attention to Scrapper, which had been trying to get his attention all the time along. He hesitated, still unsure of that plan after all. He shot a glance at his friend.

“I don’t know if – oof!”

The machine had just caught him under the arms, stopping him in the middle of his sentence. Link walked closer.

“Don’t worry. He’s way more powerful than he looks. He’s just a bit pigheaded sometimes…” he finished as he glared angrily at Scrapper, that ignored him completely, focused as he was on Fi.

“…yes, Mistress Fi, tzzt. I’ll be careful, brt. …Through the pillar, yes. …Right away, Mistress Fi, bleep.”

They took off to the sky, and the hero kept his glance locked on them until they were too tiny in the sky for him to see them. Then, he turned to Fi:

“I’m not feeling safe with Scrapper taking him up. I think I’ll follow them to make sure he does it right.”

“Of course, Master. I would simply like to emphasize that Zelda is waiting.”

“I know, Fi!” The man sighed angrily. “Stop repeating it.”

“Yes, Master. I am sorry for angering you.”

The blond sighed.

“Nevermind. Let’s head up.”

The phantom nodded and she disappeared in Link’s sword. The hero walked to the nearest Bird Statue and called its magic to lift him up to the Pillar of Light.

***

Pipit was surprised by how smooth the flying was. He had thought the robot would be having a hard time carrying him, but it seemed like it was as hard for it to carry him, than it would have been for a feathers’ crate. 

“Scrapper, was it?”

“What is it, bleep?”

“I would just have a question… Why do you call Link ‘Master Shortpants?’ “

“Because he is a Master Shortpants, bleep. The only reason I help him, dzzt, is because Gondo told me, drrt. And because Mistress Fi ordered me to, krrrpt.”

The brunette giggled, which looked quite strange considering his position.

“I like the nickname.”

“That makes at least one person who does, drzzt.”

The robot had said it very plainly, but Pipit thought he had heard a smirk in the machine’s mechanical voice, for as much as a machine could have emotions.  
They soon reached the Pillar and crossed the opening in the clouds. Once there, Scrapper headed for the main island. At the middle of the road to it, the knight asked if it could let go of him. He wanted to see his Loftwing. He had only been down on the Surface for something like thirty hours, but he already missed her. He couldn’t imagine how must be feeling Link, which stayed on the Surface for months.

The machine needed a bit of convincing, but after arguing for a few seconds, reassured that there was no danger for the knight, it let go. Right away, the senior knight whistled and her bird dove under him to catch him on the fly. She cooed to welcome him. He patted her head.

“Go easy on that one, girl. I don’t feel so good.”

The Loftwing whistled in answer and slowed down. Scrapper came to fly by the man.

“What now, brzt?”

The freckle face smirked mischievously.

***

Link emerged in the middle of the Pillar and whistled right away to call Red. He didn’t see his bird until he actually landed on it, as he was of the same color. They got out of the light, and sped towards Skyloft. The hero was focusing on his road, when he felt a force get his hat and pull it off his head. He looked upwards but didn’t see a thing. He looked around, and only clouds and his hair were in his sight, until he saw Pipit fall arms extended on his left. The hero felt a pinch of fear for the other, and he was about to go after him when he heard the freckle face whistle for his Loftwing. She caught him right away with a happy sound.

The yellow-clad knight and his companion flew toward Link and the senior touched his friend’s foot, saying:

“Tag!”

It took an instant for the hero to understand, before a grin plastered on his face. He went after the other, speeding as fast as he could, anticipating the other’s maneuvers. Link’s bird was faster, but Pipit and his bird were more agile and would turn 270 degrees in a second, as the hero had to make a big U-turn. After minutes of chase, he was finally reaching the other when the freckle face jumped off his bird once more to avoid the touch. This time, he didn’t even need to call his Loftwing back for her to catch him a few meters down. He looked up and laughed even harder than he had been, taking off again.

In the end, this game lasted until the sun started going down behind the clouds. At that moment, the senior knight and his flying companion slowed down to an easy pace, both panting. Link’s duo lined beside the two others and they flew to the central place’s docks. The two Loftwings landed gracefully before folding their wings, allowing both skyloftians to get their feet on the ground before flying away again.

Pipit was calming down when Link hit him gently on the shoulder.

“Tag!”

The hero ran away, avoiding the senior’s attempt to catch him. 

“Cheater!” howled the freckle face before starting to run after the other. It didn’t last long, though, because his muscles soon reminded their owner of their poor state. The yellow-clad knight stopped and put his hands on his knees, a wince mixing with his broad smile. It didn’t take long for the junior to realize he wasn’t being followed anymore, and he turned around. When he saw Pipit doubled over, he stopped laughing and approached his friend, worried. He placed his hand on the freckle face’s back:  
“Are you alright?”

At the hearing of those words, the yellow clothed skyloftian straighten and smiled dimly at the other.

“Yeah, it’s just my muscles that seem not to appreciate the treatment.”

Link chuckled.

“Alright then. We’ll continue another day. But I can tell you I’ll win.”

“Of course…”

They both snickered.

“Alright, let’s head for the Academy. You have to sleep, and I will go see Owlan to ask him what my shift is today and also to apologize. After all, I missed yesterday’s patrol.”

“Alright.”


	9. Chapter 9

He was trying to focus on patrolling, but he had a hard time not getting caught by his own trail of thoughts. Link had been away for over a week once more, and Pipit, as usual, couldn’t help but be worried about how his friend was doing down on the Surface. Was he tired? Was he wounded? Was he in the middle of a battle for his (or somebody else’s) life? Ever since he had had a glimpse of how the life down there felt like, he had become even more worried about the hero than before. It got on his nerves. He couldn’t stop himself from feeling like he was acting as some kind of mother hen would.

But after all, was he not right to worry? He had at first thought of the Surface as a dangerous place, but now it was even worse; he saw it as a deathly ground where any misstep could lead to one’s death. If Link and the Mogmas hadn’t been there to give him advices and protect him, he never would have survived. If it wouldn’t have been by the fault of the Bombflowers, then the Bokoblins would have slain him for sure. And they only had been three on one. He had always been pretty proud of his skill with the sword, but now he realized there was little he knew about it. Apart from some Remlits and one or two Chuchus from time to time, he in the end had very little practice against real enemies. It made him wonder if he really was that good of a fighter, or only a lucky one.

Link, on the contrary, was one of those good and efficient Knights. His ways of fighting were not really aligned with the Values, which still bothered the senior knight some bit, but he was nonetheless a very good fighter, that part was undeniable. He could handle many foes at once, even if they were more powerful than him, and get out of it without any serious wound. After all, had he not taken care of five Bokoblins as if they were nothing more than annoying flies? He had been quite the marksman with his bow too. And Pipit had no doubt it was not the only thing in which the blond excelled. He had been on the Surface over a year, so that had to mean something, had it not?

He was there in his thoughts when he heard a meow from behind him. He turned around and saw a Remlit looking at him with cute, big eyes. The freckle face stared at it, his hand on the hilt of his sword, until it turned around with a purr. He was relaxing a bit when the cat U-turned again and jumped to plant its claws in his face, a devilish expression in its eyes. Taken by surprise, he dodged at the last second, and as he was moving he heard the sound of cloth being ripped. He also felt a sting from his chest, but he didn’t so much as flinch form it, too focused on not being victim of the feline’s next attack. 

The cat jumped again, but this time Pipit was waiting for it and he caught the animal’s claws on his sword and pushed back, sending the Remlit flying until it hit a wall. It meowed in pain on the impact, and fell down on the floor. It got back to its feet and shook its head clear, before hissing at the senior knight. The man didn’t move, waiting to see if the animal would attack once more. But it turned tail and ran out the gate, jumping off three stairs at a time. He checked it until it finished getting downstairs, then he got his focus off it. He looked around to make sure nothing else was nearby, any Keese or Chuchu, but the lower level was danger free.

He sheathed his sword and fetched the Academy’s keys from his pouch, unlocking the door. He passed it and closed it behind him, locking it back. He turned around to the dark corridor. All was silent, apart from the kitchen in front of him in which Henya was already preparing to cook the breakfast the residents would eat in some hours. He walked toward the door to have some nice chat with the old woman. He had learned over time that she could be another pair of ears and eyes if you managed to be polite and kind. And when you were, she was more than happy to comply into telling you about anything that had happened or was happening right now. And best part was, she was more than aware that Pipit talked with her mostly because of that. She had told him once, along with the statement that she didn’t care in the slightest. 

He passed the door serenely, turning left to go see the cook in front of the stove, checking the cooking of whatever was in her pot. He hailed her in a low voice not to wake up anybody. She turned to look at him upon the hearing of her name, but the smile she had been wearing faded when her eyes fell on him. Instead appeared there concern and worry.

“Pipit, are you alright?”

Unable to understand what the woman was talking about, he shrugged the question off:

“Of course. What are you cooking?”

The question could as well have been asked to a deaf person, for the cook didn’t give any interest to it. Instead, she left the meal she was cooking behind and approached the yellow clad man.

“How did you get those wounds?”

“What wounds?”

He looked down and saw little blood trails flowing down from his chest, hitting the floor in a serene music. At first, he didn’t understand where it was coming from, but then he remember sting he had felt when he had avoided the Remlit’s attack. He lifted his head back up to look at Henya.

“It’s nothing. I’ll just go- ”

“My ass this is nothing!” she interrupted. “You come with me, we will wake Owlan up and he will check those wounds. I don’t want you sick or fainting from blood loss.”

The freckle face tried protesting, but the old woman didn’t want to hear anything. She grabbed his hand and dragged him all along the corridor, up the stairs and to the teacher’s door. She knocked on it once, then twice when the man of white hair adorned didn’t answer right away. On the second try he opened the door with a tired face. He was only wearing his white tunic. His blue scarf, his belt and his necklace were absent. His hair was a mess and the expression that was on his face was of sleep-depravedness, and of a tad of annoyance.

“Henya? What- ” he started, until his eyes fell on Pipit’s ripped shirt and bleeding chest. “What happened?”

He made them enter his room as the cook told her what she knew of the situation. The teacher listened closely to her quite short story, while he motioned for his student to sit on the undone bed. Once the old woman had told Owlan of her knowledge, she left the both of them alone to get back to her cooking. The grown man got down on a knee and started looking at the wounds.

“How did you get these?”

“A Remlit attacked me. I avoided getting hit in the face but I guess I didn’t avoid everything.”

The teacher glanced upward for a second before getting a last look at the wounds. Then he got up and walked to one of the plants inhabiting his bedroom. He picked a few leaves unknown to the senior knight and turned around to head back.

“Why didn’t you wear your chainmail?”

“My chainmail-…?” he questioned before realizing what the comment meant.

He looked at his chest and realized he had had only gotten his shirt on. He blinked a few times at his chest as Owlan was put the plant samples beside himself before kneeling down. 

“I- I don’t know… I could’ve sworn I was wearing it…”

The older man’s brown eyes got in an instant coated by a veil of worry.

“I’m not sure what makes you so inattentive, but over the last week, and even somehow before, you have been getting miles and miles farther away from reality. If you are not feeling well, you should stop doing the night rounds. It’s dangerous for your health.”

“No, it’s not- ” started Pipit before stopping himself. Actually, he was not certain why he was being such an airhead lately. Although, he had some kind of an idea about it.

Unbothered by the fact his student had stopped talking in the middle of his sentence, Owlan continued as he started treating the wounds:

“No matter the reason, I forbid you to do tomorrow’s night round at the very least. And you get back to your house now, I don’t want to catch you doing rounds until the end of your shift.”

“But- ”

“This is non-negotiable.”

Pipit sighed and stopped trying to protest right away, knowing he could not get the upper hand against a teacher. It took a few minutes for the teacher to get all the little claw marks treated. Once that done, he straightened back up and made a big move to show the door to his junior:

“Done. Now, you head home and you relax.” He held a yawn back. “I will enjoy the last few hours of sleep I can get before the morning.”

The freckle face didn’t need any more incitement to get back onto his feet and cross the door. As he had been told, he headed for his house, avoiding the monsters as much as he could. He even managed to avoid having to get through a fight with the Remlit that always hung around the bridge, sneaking past it as it was pursuing a butterfly, hissing and meowing loudly.

When he crossed the door to his house, he found it as dusty as ever, with all the lights out. His mother was in bed; he could hear her slow, soft asleep breathing from the corner where her bed was. Silently, he closed the door behind him and headed for his own bed on the right. He hit his great toe on one of the seats around the table, and he used all his self-control not to howl in answer. He kept on until he reached his bed. He sat on it and got both his boots off. He unbuckled his sword and placed it on the floor right under the side of his bed, where it was easily accessible. He detached his pouch belt and put it to rest on his night table.

He took off the remains of his shirt, which now looked a lot more like a vest. He stared at them a moment in desperation before hanging it on his chair’s back. He was about to lay down when he noticed the crumbled paper half emerging from under his pillow. He took it and turned it to see the black ink which he knew spelled his name. He had never found enough time yet to read that letter Link had left him the same day he had jumped down to that volcano land.

He stared at the paper some more before deciding to get at reading it. He fetched his matches in the upper drawer of his night desk. He scratched one and used it to lit the candle beside his bed before shaking it cold. He changed of position, shifting on his bed until he found a sitting position in which he both was comfortable and able to read easily. He opened the paper with an incomprehensible twinge in his stomach and began reading. He could see all along the letter a lot of crossing-out of from single words to whole paragraph beginnings.

_“Pip_

_“I’m sorry you caught me cleaning your house. I can explain why. For now, I have to head back to the Surface; Zelda is still in danger. But I’ll try to get back in something like a week. So, next time I get back to Skyloft, let’s meet at the Lumpy Pumpkin, okay? I’ll pay you a bowl of soup and talk this out with you._

_“Please, I beg you, don’t jump to conclusions. I promise I can explain. Don’t go hating me out of it. I would never survive to it. You’re my dearest friend, and you don’t have the slightest idea how important you are to me._

_“And, once we’ll be done with talking about your house and the cleaning… There’s something I need to tell you. I” That part had been re-written it seemed a thousand times. “I’m not sure how to say it. Neither how to write it. I’ll be thinking of a way to tell you, but when I’ll be, don’t interrupt me. If I start fidgeting and looking away as I talk, don’t make any move. Wait. What I have to tell you is both very important and very hard to talk about._

_“I think that’s all. I would love to tell you this verbally, face-to-face, but I just can’t. The wound on your face was way too painful for me, and I guess it showed all the pain I caused you. I don’t want to see you angry, or bitter. It makes me sad._

_“So, while I’m away, cheer up! And be careful. Those Remlits are treacherous._

_“Link”_

As he finished reading, the knight felt water swell up at the corner of his eyes. He rubbed his lids to dry them off, but it did the exact contrary. He started crying and no matter how much he wished it, it didn’t stop. The tears kept on trailing down his cheeks as he did his best to hold his sobs back not to wake his mother up. The letter in itself was nothing to make him cry, he knew it. What caused this pain in his stomach was how earnest it was. It made Pipit feel like his friend was right behind him, reading over his shoulder, while he knew the hero was still down on the Surface. It made the missing harder to bear, and so big… He hoped Link would be back soon. Only when he had the blond, happy and dashing, did he worry less.


	10. Chapter 10

He stared at the circular moving portal in front of him. Even though it was gigantic and of a bluish shade of purple, the hero couldn’t help but find it a resemblance with a gear. Although, it was not like it didn’t fit; was it not such, after all, was it not a tool? Quite unusual a tool, it had to be agreed, but a tool still. He had not expected it to look like that once activated. 

Link could not read the symbols on it, but when he looked at them, he had an odd feeling of déjà vu, that the memory was just beyond his reach. The old lady had told him Zelda was beyond this gate of time travel, but he was not certain anymore if he wanted to go. Would he find her healthy and radiant? Or would she be age-old, or even worse, wounded or dead?

And even if she was alright, so many more bad things could happen. The portal could work wrong, and kill him or send him at another time and/or place than that one he was aiming to. Or Ghirahim or the Imprisoned could destroy the portal while he was on the other side. Just to think of it, to stay in the past and not see Pipit anymore, on top of being helpless to prevent Demise’s invasion of the Surface and maybe even the whole world, was maddening enough for him to avoid the thought. 

Deciding he had been hesitating long enough and even longer already, the blond took a deep breath, had a last thought for his brown-haired elder and stepped forward. The portal complied and a hole appeared in the middle of it, soon filled with even more gearing appearing to create a way across. Link looked back a second at the temple, before he entered.

***

Pipit sighed and checked his gear for the third time. This once, everything seemed to be there. He had his chainmail, his shirt, his hat, his pants… He had taken his sword and his pouch… He had put both a life potion and a stamina potion in the latter, in case he’d get wounded… That was all. He had finally managed to get everything. He could understand why Owlan had decided to put him off duty. He was such an airhead lately; were it not for his mother reminding him, he would forget to eat for days plenty. 

He had seen Link last time over two months ago already. And every day, every night, his letter came back to the brunette’s mind: what was it he had had to tell him? Would he still tell his friend when he’d get back the next time? Or would he hide it, pretend not to remember? Those were the question that nagged him. And they were the easiest to cope with. At the back of his mind, were even worse questionings harassing his mental; was Link still alive? Was he healthy? Was he wounded? Was he trapped somewhere, defenseless? Was he agonizing, still fighting even though he knew he was going to die? It was rather hard for Pipit to ignore them and push them back at the back of his head, where he didn’t see them and they hurt him very little. He had to use all his self-control not to let himself be the prey of a panic or despair attack.

The knight blinked, realizing he had been lost in his thoughts once more without wanting it. Shaking his head in disbelief to his own self-forgetfulness, he started to walk slowly to the door. He might not be allowed to do the night rounds anymore, but he still needed money. So, he had begun hunting the creatures that dwelt in the night to sell them to Rupin at his house. He was glad Link had told him of it. This way he still could take care of his mother and get some side money.

He reached out for the knob and opened the door slowly. His mother was already fast asleep, and he didn’t want to wake her up. She had started to notice their money level wasn’t going down since he had been relieved from his night duties. She was getting more and more stressed. The yellow clothed knight sometimes caught her staring at him in worry, but whenever their eyes met on those moments, she would simply walk or look away without uttering a word. He knew she was wondering what he had come up with to keep earning money. 

He closed the door and turned around, unsheathing his sword. Okay… it was now time to go hunt some Keeses and Chuchus. 

***

Link landed right in front of the door leading to the second floor of the Academy. He looked around, and saw that no one and nothing was around. He got back up straight, and folded his sailcloth before putting it away in his pouch. He heard steps from in front of the Academy’s Sparring Hall and walked to the side of the trail, and he saw somebody doing rounds. Thinking he was Pipit, he almost hailed the man, until he turned around, and the hero recognized a classmate of his friend.

Seeing that, he kept quiet and walked away from the ledge. Where was Pipit? It was quite unusual for the man not to be on duty. Worried, he wondered if his friend was sick, wounded, or something of the kind. He bit his lip, unsure of what to do. He knew he was still unstable from his meeting with Zelda. But he really wanted to make sure the brown-haired man was alright. And he couldn’t deny that he would love to see him. It had been long. He was not even sure how long anymore.

After lots of thinking, his restlessness got the better of him and he headed for the door at the end of the trail. He turned left and crossed the gate on his right. He walked down the stairs and stopped in front of the market entrance, rethinking his decision. He knew it was a bad idea. But he also knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep without knowing about Pipit’s health state. He sighed. 

He unsheathed his sword and strapped his shield tighter on his arm, walking around the market’s tent. He fought a Chuchu and beat off a Remlit in the process of getting to his friend’s house, but when he was there, he felt all his strength run off to another universe. What if Pipit REALLY was wounded, or sick or whatever? He was not sure he wanted to know of it. After all, he had just come back to buy new potions and repair his stuff. He didn’t need one more thing to worry about down on the surface…

He had been staring at the door for quite the time when he heard a voice call out his name behind him. He turned around and found himself face to face with Pipit. He was smiling broadly, but his body was covered with Chuchu’s jelly and blood. Stricken with panic, the hero released his grip on his sword and his shield’s handle, causing both equipment pieces to fall to the floor. He ran closer to his friend and circlied him, touching the spots where he saw the most blood.

“Are you alright?” he kept on repeating, not even leaving Pipit enough time between two times to answer.

The senior knight, not quite understanding the other’s reaction, only stared at his friend for a moment until he understood what made his mate worry. This done, he sheathed his blade and grabbed both of Link’s shoulders to stop him.

“That’s just Keese blood…”

The blond looked at him for some time, until the light dawned upon his brain. Then he looked away, blushing, and shoved slightly to silently ask Pipit to release his shoulders. The yellow clad skyloftian complied right away and his friend took a step back, scratching the back of his head and toying with his own hair. A little time of silence went by before Link could gather his thoughts and muffle a ‘sorry’. That word made his friend smile.

“Don’t sweat it. You couldn’t have known.”

“Hn.” The hero shifted his glance back onto the other. “By the way, why are you here? Are you not supposed to be in charge of the night rounds?”

The older skyloftian took turn in feeling uneasy.

“Uh, well, no… It’s a… uh… a complicated story.”

“So you’re not wounded, sick or anything?”

“No, I’m perfectly okay, don’t worry.”

Actually, the brunette was not totally certain he was not sick or any other thing of the like, but he didn’t want to make him worry out of a guess. It didn’t take long before he was confirmed that he had made the right choice. 

“I’m glad” said Link with a relieved smile. “I thought you had been taken off duty because you were no longer able to perform it.”

Pipit decided not to comment on that one, knowing that the story would be long and complicated, and that his friend would have questions to ask about the situation he himself had no answer to. So he decided to change of subject.

“Are you going to stay on Skyloft for long?”

The blond shook his head.

“No, I’m only here to restock on potions and to repair my stuff.”

“Oh. Well I’m glad I could see you then.”

There was a strange pinch of pain at the back of his belly.

“So, how is it going? Did you advance in you quest?”

A faint smile stretched the hero’s face. 

“I saw Zelda.”

“Really?” answered Pipit, excited at the good news. “Was she doing well?”

“Yeah, she was doing well. She explained everything to me.”

The yellow-clad knight could hear a dissonant note in his friend’s speech.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, everything is perfect. Now I know exactly what I have to do.”

“…you seem shaken up.”

“Yeah well I would have the right to, no?” suddenly burst Link. “She used me!” 

“Whoa, calm down.”

Pipit put a hand on the other’s shoulder. 

“Let’s go to your room. You’ll explain everything to me there, okay?”

And on this, without even waiting for the hero’s answer, he began dragging his friend toward the Academy.

***

Link sat on his bed, and looked at the freckle face as the latter settled down on the chair in front of the desk by it. The yellow clothed skyloftian turned his glance to his dearest friend and asked:

“Okay, so, what happened?”

Now that he had calmed down, the hero was no longer certain it was a good idea to tell Pipit about all that had happened on the other side of this time travel portal. He was not even sure the other could fully grasp what it had been all about.

“It was nothing, really. I think I’m just… tired is all.”

The senior knight observed his peer with scrutinizing eyes before answering:

“I can tell it’s not that. You never blow up like that, even if you are dead tired. I know you, Link.”

‘If only…’ couldn’t help thinking the blond as he looked at his wall. He sighed.

“You won’t let that one slide, will you.”

“No chance” chuckled the other. Then, more seriously: “I’m worried, you know.”

Link turned around and stared at his elder with eyebrows lifted in surprise, taken aback by the words. He couldn’t say a word for some time, until he managed to let out a tiny whisper:

“Thank you…”

“What?” laughed Pipit silently. “I tell you I’m worried and you say ‘thank you’? Well I couldn’t have seen this one coming.”

The hero blushed and looked away, clearing his throat. 

“Can we… get back on the subject at hand?”

“Sure” giggled the freckle face.

The blond took a deep breath in and started his story.

“A bit ago, I finally managed to gather all three of the Sacred Flames and I opened the portal to the past. It was rather mysterious. The symbols circling around it… I could feel their magic, and their meaning was just beyond my reach. When I Crossed it… I don’t really know how to describe it. It felt like a walk around Skyloft, yet at the same time it felt like nothing I had ever experienced before. I saw through my own eyes and myself both. It was as if I was at two places at the same time.”

Pipit smiled at the dreamy expression of the youngster.

“…and then?”

“I arrived in the past. At first I thought it had not worked; it looked the exact same as the present. But then Impa came to talk to me. Can you believe it? The old woman of the Lost Temple is actually Impa! I had a hard time believing it myself. She told me how happy she was that I had managed to Cross the frontier to her time.”

His expression started darkening after those words, getting darker and darker as the words flew out of his mouth.

“She also told me that Zelda was waiting for me. She pointed me where to go in the temple, and left me alone to go there. I walked to the stairs and got up them. I was so stressed. I knew she was going to be alright, but I couldn’t help fearing she would not. When I saw her…”

Link paused for a moment, lost in his thoughts. Pain, happiness and relief battled upon his face for dominance, a harsh battle in which the bad feelings seemed to win over quite easily.

“She was radiant. She literally illuminated the place. So much light surrounded her… Yet I could see that… glitter of sadness… in her eyes. She talked to me about the Triforce, about Demise. Then she talked about Hylia… She is Hylia. She- She-“

His voice broke, and he stayed there, looking at his hands, until he breathed in again slowly. Then he started talking again, articulating a word after another gently, to make sure he would not lose control again. The freckle face got up from his seat and shifted to get down on the bed by his friend’s side.

“She told me she used me… Oh, of course, she apologized like – what – a dozen times? But… she used me. All this time, all those month, this year I spent, those worry-filled hours… All those wounds, this pain, these efforts… she… she led me by the nose, all this time, making me follow her around like some DOG. She just-”

“Shhh…”

Pipit put his arm around his friend’s shoulder, trying to cheer him out some bit. Not thinking about it in the slightest, the hero broke down and brought his knuckles to his eyes, leaning onto the other. The brunette tightened his grip on the other’s shoulder and brought him closer. They stayed like that for a long time, until he felt Link breath slower in his arms. He looked at the man he was holding, and realized he had fallen asleep. Slowly, carefully, he took the gear off his friend, put them on the floor and made the blond lie on the bed. 

He placed the covers on the younger knight. The hero immediately reacted by moaning slightly and dragging the sheets, making the brunette smile.


	11. Chapter 11

He looked at the stone bird in wonder, this statue he had been seeing on Skyloft since he was born. He had always thought it was supposed to stay like that somehow, with one empty eye and the other filled by a vibrantly red stone. This inadequacy seemed to be strangely fitting the rocky avian and making it even more beautiful than the blond could imagine it had been as a complete, brand new sculpture. 

Now he had the stone to activate its inner gears and he would get to obtain the Triforce. Or at least, that was how Fi had presented it. He was quite dubious it would be this easy. He would probably have to prove his worth at holding it, as he had done so many times already. He fetched the ruby from his pocket and studied it intensely. So intensely, even, that he did not notice the steps of the man walking closer to him until his name was called out by a very familiar voice:

“Link!”

He jumped and looked at the Skyloftian that had hailed him with an automatic reach to the hilt of his sword. When he recognized Pipit, he relaxed and smiled to his friend.

“Pip. Great to see you.”

“Same here” said the older knight as he got closer. 

They hugged briefly before they parted, a bit to the blond’s disappointment. The freckle face let flourish a grand grin.

“How have you been doing? I haven’t seen you in… I lost count actually.”

“I think it’s been only a month.”

The other seemed to ponder it.

“Hm, I could have sworn it had been at least twice as long. Strange.”

He looked back at his peer:

“So, what are you up to?”

“I think I’m almost done. See this gem?” He showed the precious stone to the other. “It’s going to be the key to where the Triforce is being kept.”

“The Triforce…? Is that not a legend?”

Link chuckled.

“As was the Surface.”

“You got a point” smiled the senior knight. “So, that means you’ll just… wish everything to be alright again?”

“It seems like it is the solution. The only one.”

The brunette seemed worried for a second.

“It won’t be dangerous, will it?”

“Not that I know. And I think she would have warned me if she knew of any danger.”

Pipit looked relieved.

“Good. I would rather not lose you.”

The blond felt a pinch in his stomach at those words. He looked away.

“Don’t… say that…”

“But I am being serious. You’re very dear to me.”

“Stop… I get it already…”

The other didn’t seem to notice the intense malaise of his friend and mercilessly continued. He had started and felt like he had to finish, completing his trail of thoughts.

“See, whenever you leave for the surface, I feel horribly worried.” He chuckled. “It makes me awfully clumsy. I always forget something important, something I need to bring, to wear or to remember. That’s actually why Owlan took me off duty. It was becoming dangerous for me. I even-”

“STOP IT!!!”

Taken aback by the sudden shout, the freckle face’s mouth stayed agape as he stared at his friend. The hero was pushing on each side of his head with his hand to deafen himself, so much that there was white around where he put pressure. His whole face, from his neck to his front head, along with his cheeks and ears, were red as the reddest lilies. His eyes were solidly shut as if he was trying to shield them against a violent wind, and he somehow was slightly doubled over. 

Concerned by his friend’s strange behavior, Pipit walked closer and put a hand on the green clothed boy’s shoulder as he leaned in to bring his face closer to his friend’s. Feeling a gush of air landing on his nose and lips, the blond opened his eyes only to see the other’s sapphire-like eyes right in front of his. He own went wide as fell backwards in reaction to the overwhelming proximity. His shoulder stayed tightly gripped by the senior knight’s knuckles, making him lose his balance and fall down to the floor. The movement also dragged the older skyloftian down along, ending up with both men falling down.

Link ended up with his back on the grass, and Pipit landed on him. The blond closed his eyes tight when he hit the ground and when his friend hit him. The brunette hit his head on the dirt, and it bounced twice before settling down. He let out a whine of pain but stayed as he was, not willing to move a muscle. 

“Why do I always end up hitting my head…” he muffled in his friend’s shoulder.

The younger knight shivered as he felt the air hit him at the junction of his neck and shoulder. He closed his eyes and held back a desperate moan. He started pushing slightly on Pipit’s chest without a word, before stopping as he felt the muscles under the chainmail and the tunic. But the brunette had already understood the message and he sat up on the blond’s lap, holding his pain-throbbing head.

“Are you alright?”

The blond dragged his legs out of the other’s unvoluntary legs’ grip as he looked away, mumbling a ‘not really…’ to himself. Hearing the incredibly weak sound, the senior looked at his peer and asked:

“What did you say?”

“I said NO.” repeated Link with anger and a throbbing pain in his stomach, locking their glances. “I’m not alright.”

It took the brunette aback.

“Why? Did you hurt yourself when we fell?”

“No. If it were that, it would not be a problem.”

The hero looked at his hand and started wiggling them. His attention seemed completely on them, as if they suddenly were the most important thing in the world. However, it was easy to understand that it was not the case, since he was also stuttering and repeating the same whispered words over and over again, showing his friend he was thinking like crazy. The freckle face thought of asking his friend what the matter was, but then he remembered what Link had said in his letter: 

_“If I start fidgeting and looking away as I talk, don’t make any move.”_

So, as he had been asked, he waited and only looked intensely at his tortured friend. It took Link some minutes of intense meditation before his eyes moved up to meet his senior’s own. He still fidgeted like crazy, but his stare looked almost assured. He closed his eyes for a second and breathed in deeply before opening them again. In the depths of his pupils danced the expression of someone about to jump off Skyloft’s borders.

“Pipit…?”he asked with a shy, low voice.

“Hm?”

“You… noticed my strange reactions on the surface, yeah?”

“m-hm.”

“Good, good. So… did you… notice, that I was reacting strangely around you?”

This time, the brunette didn’t answer, making the hero lift his head in worry. But he took the disquiet face in front of his as a yes, and he went back at staring at anything but his friend. He let out a stressed laugh before opening his mouth again.

“I- I have been trying to find the words for ages… since… since I _realized_. Ever since… I don’t even know. All I’m certain of is it was there before Zelda disappeared, before the Ceremony… before all this started.”

Curious and anxious, Pipit used all his self-control to not utter a word. He felt that the other was dancing on a fine thread, and that any incitation would make him lose his balance, and all would be to redo. He could stop himself from digging in the ground repetitively under the stress, though, which annoyed him greatly.

“I just…I- I-”

Link looked up at his friend with blind and pleading eyes for a second, before he closed his eyes and whispered: 

“I- love you.”

The silence fell on the both of them. Pipit’s ears were ringing from the three words, as much as if they had been howled. The blond opened his eyes and they fell upon the taken aback face of the other. He stared in expectation of his senior’s answer, which took some time. But the hero did not let out a single sound, willing to let the brunette take his time to think this through.

“I…” started the older skyloftian.

He stopped and stared at the blond, examining him.

“I don’t…”

He sighed, wiping his face with his hands and rubbing them on his skin.

“I can’t. I really like you, but…”

He got up slowly.

“I just…. can’t.”

He turned around and started walking away towards the market and the Academy, his shoulders low. Link stared at his back intensely, unable to make the slightest move. His mind was blank. After his glance found itself empty too, tears started gathering at the corners of his eyes, and he stayed sitting, staring at empty air, the water falling freely from them.

***

He looked at the thing in front of him with tired eyes. He didn’t understand what kept him fighting still. Was it some hidden animalistic will to live? Or was it because he knew he had to protect Zelda? That second one was most un-plausible. He was not even sure it was worth it to save her anymore. But then again, he was not sure _anything_ was worth it anymore.

“I would recommend you focus on the enemy in front of us, Master.” Echoed Fi’s voice in his head. 

‘I know…’ He locked his glance on the four-armed skeleton and reaffirmed his grip on his shield.

***

Why had he reacted like that? He had just left Link there, by himself, and walked away. How insensitive could THAT be? It had taken his friend all his might and courage to utter those three words… ‘I love you’… Pipit felt his stomach squeeze as they echoed in his head once more. So that was the reason to all the other’s strange reactions, his tendency to stay away desperately and all. Pipit understood better now.

But the main question was not that; what he had to think for himself was: had he been meaning what he said, that he couldn’t? Or had he meant something else?

***

He felt the wind toying with his hair and opened his eyes. In front of him he saw the Goddess’s face, calm and serene. He was on Her hands, somehow transported there when he had grabbed the last component of the Triforce, the Wisdom. He turned around and looked at Skyloft down there, living as usual. He let the windy currents rock him gently from side to side, his heart not as heavy in such a great place. After a few seconds, Fi leapt out of his sword and stationed by him, looking at the same view as him.

“Master…” she lulled.

“I know, Fi…” 

He closed his eyes and turned around. He stared at Her face, before a bolt of light coming from himself blinded him. He closed his eyes, only to open them on the Triforce, singing and moving in front of him, bright as the sun.

***

He ran and ran, feeling the bile crawl up his throat. He had been out of breath for what seemed like hours now, but he would not let go. He would stop, stumble and fall when he’d have found Link. He had to. He needed to. The Goddess’s statue was his last bet. But She seemed so far… 

He looked up to Her face and saw an explosion of light coming from Her. Hoping it was Link, and that he would not arrive too late, he took an even deeper breath and sprinted, making all his muscles beg, his head throb in pain and his legs almost flinch under him before he managed to get a hold of them. He could feel the sweat run down his face, his front, his back… 

He started to climb the stairs when She a wave shook them. He jumped up to avoid the shaking and kept on, two stairs by two. He looked up and almost stopped when he saw that She was detaching Herself and going down slowly. But he kept on, going even faster than he already was, faster and faster… He was going to miss him…

He arrived at the top of the stairs and stopped, looking at the green form he could now see on Her hands. He could feel tears drip down from his eyes, along with the sweat.

“LINK!” he called with all his might, closing his eyes under the effort he was asking from his lungs.

He opened his eyes again, coughing. He looked at the blond and saw him look around to find who called his name. Unable to bring himself to wave his arm, Pipit held back his coughing and breathed in again to howl: 

“Link! Here!” 

His voice was rasping and croaking, but he didn’t care. The blond settled his eyes on him, and he smiled.

“Stay safe! And come see me-” he coughed “when you get back up!”

He smiled and forced his arm to wave this time, feeling the tears get back, an even thicker. The hero was about to disappear under the clouds with Her, and Pipit to turn around to leave, when the senior knight heard his friend’s voice echo:

“Promise!”


	12. Chapter 12

He couldn’t help but feel extremely weak. This creature, this _Demise_ , was just way more powerful than expected. When he had seen it/him take a human form, he had thought it would be easier to beat it. But in little time he had realized how wrong he was. Not only was the Demise in no way easier to beat, but it was even harder to fight against. With Ghirahim lending its full power to its master, it really felt to Link like he was fighting two people. He was not certain he would be able to get out of this face-off in good form, or even alive. 

And there was that electricity Ghirahim kept on casting and holding onto. Combined with the Demise’s speed and power, it had already been more than once that Link had made contact with it with his sword. Every time that happened, he felt the electricity run through him painfully. It was not like he was new to the sensation; he had been electrocuted many times as he crossed Lanayru Desert. Had it been the Ampilus, the Technoblins, the Spumes or the Chuchus, he had had more than his fair share already. But _this one_ not only ran through his vain, leaving wounds and pain. It also felt like it was crushing each and every one of his cells, from head to toe, to reduce it into an unrecognizable mesh.

Even with Fai encouraging him from inside the blade, it was hard to focus and to keep on fighting. With every shock his body stiffened further, making it harder and harder to move, hit and dodge. His feet felt like they were made of stone, and his fighting spirit and hope were at their lowest. Or at least were they, until Fai reminded him of the promise he had made to Pipit.

***

He was trying his best to not let the anxiety get to him. He had so much to worry about; him practicing with his bird, his mother being as carefree about the money as ever, the fact that he wasn’t able to sleep well no matter what, Link that didn’t seem to be getting back over the clouds… and even more, what he would have to say to the blond skyloftian.  
Once the hero had been under the clouds, gone to do the Goddess knew what with Her statue, Pipit had realized that, once more, he had acted on an impulse. It had always been one of his traits. Most people thought he was very laid-back, of the thoughtful kind. But in fact, he almost always took his major decisions at the last minute, or on what most people would call a whim. So, once Link had been out of sight and the promise made, the feeling that he HAD to be there had faded, and he had realized how hot-headed his move had been.

Not that he regretted it; there was no way in hell he ever would. But at that very moment, he hadn’t been able to hold back the blush that had covered his face over. All that had remained on his mind as he was trying to get back from his tremendous embarrassment and hiding his red face from the world was the echo of the last word the green-clothed knight had shout out. He could feel his heart throb.

***

Link glared at the Demise that looked at his now empty hand, freed of Ghirahim that had just disappeared and flown away in ashes. The demon reported his ever-angry glance at his opponent, breathing in long and loud breaths. The wound that the hero had made in his chest was a gaping hole that didn’t seem like it was going to close.

“Extraordinary. You stand as a paragon of your kind, human. You fight like no man or demon I have ever known.”

The Demise looked at the floor and let out a grimace of pain for a second before looking back up with a devious smile.

“Though this is not the end.”

***

Pipit was looking at the green ray of light that transpierced the clouds. He was at the end of the dock at the extremity of the Plaza. His legs were dangling in the air, and the wind was soft on his skin. However, he gave little thought about the weather. His mind was full of worries, of hopes that Link would get back soon. 

As he had rapidly realized, the more time he waited for the hero to return, the more his courage seemed to vanish. At first he had been certain of what he wanted to say, but now… now he was not even sure he would be able to talk to Link when the other would get back over the clouds. Nevertheless, he still couldn’t wait for the man to get back up. He had to get this over with. He couldn’t stand that uneasiness that pursued him everywhere.

As he was staring at the green ray of light, it seemed to him like it was fading. The color was becoming lighter and more transparent. The freckle face frowned at this sight and looked down to the clouds base, which had another surprise to offer. Those too were thinning. 

Unable to get back from his amazement, Pipit simply looked at the disappearance of both clouds and rays. Once they all had vanished, in between the few remaining cotton-white forms, the senior knight caught sight of green lands, that all seemed fluttery. As it seemed, it was another place on the Surface… Pipit wondered if it was as hot in there as it had been around the… volcano was it called? Either way, he really was wondering.

He was staring down as he saw Link’s bird dive down all the way to the Surface. Breath-taken, he stared at the red dot until it disappeared, then kept on looking around the disappearance point until it appeared again and grew until the Loftwing sprinted past him, making him fall on his back by the wind and shout out in surprise. Right after, Zelda’s bird flew past him a bit slower, with its mistress on its back. 

Minutes after they had disappeared towards the Academy, Pipit was still staring towards aforementioned building. He couldn’t believe what his eyes and ears kept on trying to tell him. Had he really just now seen _Zelda_ pass by, laughing? After months of efforts, was it possible that Link had been able to bring her back and fulfill his task?  
After some time, a third bird landed by him. Forcefully pulled out of his fixation by the Loftwing’s landing, the freckle face turned his head and met Groose’s glance. The red-haired man was smiling. Somehow, he seemed to Pipit way more adult than the last time they had met. His smile was way more serene than the other times they had met. 

“Hey, Pip. Seen Zelda pass by?”

“Uhm, yes. She was headed to the Academy.”

“I know. They’re going to see her dad. The poor man must’ve been really worried.”

The senior knight looked at the other man in surprise. It was the first time he ever heard Groose being concerned about someone.

“You changed.”

It was Groose’s turn to look surprised as he locked his glance with Pipit’s one. Then, after some seconds of silence, he let a laugh out that left him with tears in his eyes. 

“Maybe…” he answered as he wiped the water from his eyes. “Everybody said that.”

He waved before walking away as his bird took off.

“I’ll go see Cawlin and Stritch. See ya!”

The more it went on, the more it seemed strange to Pipit. First the clouds disappeared, then he saw Zelda, and now Groose was friendly? He had a hard time believing he was not dreaming. He looked at the Academy farther down the road and Groose that was walking to it. 

***

He passed the gate to the second level of the Academy’s grounds and turned to head for the building. As he was opening the door to the second floor, he heard some voices coming from the front of the Sparring Hall and he turned his attention to there. As he approached the edge of the platform, he recognized Link’s hat and hair. 

He was about to call out to the rookie when he realized the latter was talking with Gaepora and Zelda. Somehow not wanting to disturb the conversation, Pipit crouched at the rim of the second floor’s ground, he watched for some time. At first all three of them talked, then Zelda’s father left. After that, the two remaining individuals kept on discussion for some time, until the blond realized someone was observing them. 

He smiled and waved at the senior knight, making the girl look behind. When she saw the auburn-haired man, she grinned in turn and whispered something in the hero’s ear. As he started to blush, she seemed like she snickered, then she kissed the Link’s cheek and left, waving again to the yellow-clothed knight to say good-bye. 

Once she had left, Pipit jumped down from his perch and landed softly a floor lower. He smiled at the other, which did the same on his side. The freckle face pointed behind him.

“So… since Zelda is back, does that mean you defeated the Imprisoned?”

“..yes.”

By the face Link made before he managed to hide it, it was obvious that it was not what the hero had been expecting as a first question. Trying to rectify his error, Pipit tried again:

“Are you wounded?”

The blond looked away.

“It’s okay… Impa took care of that.”

The senior knight let out a half-convinced, half-unbelieving grunt. He decided to get onto another subject. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His mind was blank as his brain suddenly reminded him of all those reflections he had had. His mouth went dry as his heart started to throb once more in his ears, just like they had done each and every other time. He found himself unable to utter a word, and only capable of staring at the visibly saddened blond man in front of him.


	13. Chapter 13

Pipit scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words that would get that saddened expression off Link’s face. He opened his mouth twice, trying to find the right wording, but Link was faster, talking before he could think of a sentence that would work out:

“So… you said you wanted to see me?” he asked as he looked away, to the sky and the clouds that were travelling through it.

“Uh… yes…”

He couldn’t stop himself from scratching his arm without end; it felt like it was itching when he tried to leave it alone.

“I- I wanted… I mean… there was… I- Urgh why can’t I just say it…”

The freckles face placed both hands in hair and shook around in anger. 

“I didn’t mean… you know when I said I ‘couldn’t’?”

Link said nothing and only nodded once.

“Well- uh… at first I _thought_ it was it. But then- I don’t know- I realized it’s the contrary. I mean… Uhm- well I mean… I like you _too much_ in fact… for it. I don’t want to risk losing you…”

Pipit looked at the green-clothed knight with pleading eyes as he kept on. He sighed deeply.

“I mean, look at me! I can’t even tell you this correctly! I- I don’t think you’re making a good choice. _I_ at least would never go for myself, that’s one sure thing” he commented as he let an ironic smile spread upon his cheeks.

He waited for Link to answer, but all the hero seemed inclined to do was staring at him with melancholic eyes. He stared for a few seconds at them for a few seconds before looking away, unable to stand it anymore. He laughed, stressed out. 

“I… I don’t… What can I say more than that-?” the oldest man finally asked, tense.

The blond looked away for an instant before he breathed in deeply.

“I don’t think there is any more to be said…”he started, very slowly. 

He shook his head but still his eyes stayed closed and his blind stare fixed the floor.

“I don’t think you realize how much I- ”

His voice broke and he had to start over after taking a few deep breaths.

“…how much I love you… You denigrate yourself so easily…”

His glance went up and he locked his eyes with his yellow-clothed peer’s ones.

“You don’t have to, you know. I won’t be angry if you just plain tell me you don’t want to go out. I’ll understand.”

“No-”

“I was never _really_ expecting anything either way.” 

The hero let out a sad chuckle, covering the sound of Pipit’s second attempt to protest.

“I was not even supposed to tell you of my feelings to start with. It just kind of… slipped.”

“WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?”

That stopped square Link’s trail of thoughts as he stared at the other knight with wide-opened eyes. His mouth was closed, but it would have been agape that it would have conveyed his reaction better. Would he be damned if he had seen that one coming. Pipit was breathing heavily, and the corners of his eyes were shining, telling of the presence of tears. He looked enraged, about to burst and shout. He looked up at the stunned blond and he seemed to calm a bit down. He breathed deeply a few times with his eyes closed before he locked their glances.

“Stop with this. You complain that I bring myself down, but it’s exactly what you’re doing. I… I really meant it. Thing is… I wanted to think about it. I didn’t want to just jump in. I have this… mania of accepting or refusing stuff without a thought.”

He stopped talking and inspected the younger knight’s glance for a few seconds to see his reaction. The latter said nothing and his eyes started wandering again. Pipit winced in anger.

“Nothing will get to your brain, will there…” he murmured, more to himself than to the other, actually.

He stepped forward, catching the hero’s attention. The yellow-clad knight brought his face closer to his peer’s ones, locking their glances. Link’s face flushed at the proximity, and he tried to back up. But the senior man caught his arms in a steel-like grip, and kept him in place. He got even closer, and he stopped mere millimeters away. He smiled broadly and whispered: 

“Come on…”

The blond looked quite puzzled at the hint for a moment. Then, all kinds of expressions appeared and intermingled on his face. Although, no matter the emotion that crossed his mind, he didn’t seem in any way near to do what he had been asked to. Pipit sighed at the reaction and took things in hands himself. He closed the gap between their mouths with utter sweetness. Link still stiffened for a moment, and his eyes were filled with uncertainty. Seeing this, the older skyloftian broke the contact and hugged the hero. 

“Stop worrying already…” he whispered. “I don’t like to see you sad.”

The youngster slowly crept his arms around the other man, at first hesitantly. However after some time, his grip tightened, until it reached the level of being desperate. The blond started shaking, and the freckle face felt water wet his shoulder. Although, he did nothing but hug his loved one harder, bringing him closer. He waited for minutes and minutes, until Link’s tears finally receded. At that moment, he brought his lips to the green-clothed man’s ear: 

“Better?”

The hero nodded faintly. 

“Hey…”

“Hm?”

“Look at me…”

Link very hesitantly lifted his head with a question on the tip of his tongue. Although, it faded quickly from his mind as his lips met Pipit’s softly. The latter quickly broke the contact, but only to smile at the other.

“Please don’t make me run after you like that anymore. I don’t have your stamina…”

The blond choked on a laugh at the pleading.

“I’ll try.”

“Good, then. Very good.”


End file.
